All VPNs Are Equal, But Some Are More Equal: How to Survive Until Fall
The Russian Ministry of Digital Development plans to establish a unified policy on VPN usage within the next six months. Minister Maksut Shadayev announced this during his speech at the TAdviser Summit conference.
According to the minister, there has been a noticeable increase in VPN traffic. At the same time, Roskomnadzor continues to block so-called "unfriendly" VPN services that fail to comply with Russian laws. Shadayev acknowledged that these measures sometimes inadvertently affect corporate VPNs, which businesses rely on for operations.
"We are now working on a clear policy in this area. It's time to agree on uniform rules for VPNs," the minister stated, adding that specific details would be revealed "closer to fall."
VPNs Under Scrutiny
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a technology that creates secure connections over other networks, often used for remote corporate access.In 2023, providing access to banned information via VPN was officially classified as a threat to the stability and security of the Russian Internet (Runet). As a result, such services are being blocked using Technical Countermeasures Against Threats (TSPU). By the end of October 2024, nearly 200 VPN services had been blocked in Russia.
Additionally, since March 1, 2024, it has been illegal to distribute online information promoting or popularizing methods for bypassing blocks to access prohibited content.
(The article does not specify further details, but the upcoming policy may introduce stricter controls, whitelisting for corporate VPNs, or new compliance requirements.)
Key Takeaways:
- New VPN regulations expected by fall 2024.
- Corporate VPNs may face disruptions amid crackdowns.
- Russia has already blocked ~200 VPN services.
- Advertising VPNs as bypass tools is now illegal.