According to RIA, the Russian government intends to restrict specific Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and protocols that have been identified as potential risks by a panel of experts. This information was disclosed by the digital ministry through correspondence.

The demand for VPN services increased significantly following Russia’s decision to limit access to certain Western social media platforms, which occurred after President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

In 2017, a law in Russia required VPN technology providers to work with the Russian government and limit access to content that is prohibited in Russia. Failure to comply could result in their own ban.

Numerous virtual private network (VPN) services continue to be heavily utilized in Russia, leading to discussions among legislators about the extent to which they should be restricted. These VPN services not only grant access to prohibited content, but also a plethora of other information.

RIA reported that the digital ministry responded to concerns raised by lawmaker Anton Tkachev regarding potential plans to restrict VPN usage, which he believes would further burden Russians by limiting access to common household devices.

The ministry stated, as reported by RIA, that a decision from the expert commission allows for the filtering of specific VPN services and protocols on the foreign traffic mobile network, if they are deemed a danger.

The RIA reported that the ministry deemed evading restrictions on certain information as a potential risk.