Russia blocks VPNs to make it easier for intelligence agencies to spy on Russians online - British Intelligence Service
Kyiv • UNN
In russia, blocking access to VPN services and restricting VoIP telephony services are aimed at limiting russian citizens' access to independent media and facilitating monitoring by intelligence services as part of efforts to control domestic information flows, according to a report by the U.K. Ministry of Defense.
In rf block access to VPN-services, which will limit the access of Russians to independent Russian and international media, as well as simplify the ability of intelligence services to monitor Russian citizens. This is stated in a report of the Ministry of Defense of the UK, reports UNN.
Details
According to a July 4, 2024, Russian independent media report, several virtual private network (VPN) apps have been removed from the Russian version of the App Store at the request of Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor. This follows the previous removal of VPN apps in 2022 and 2023. Roskomnadzor was given the right to block access to VPN services without going to court in March 2024. Roskomnadzor justified the ban with apps containing "content illegal in Russia".
"This is almost certainly intended to limit the ability of Russian citizens to access independent Russian and international media, and to facilitate the ability of intelligence agencies to spy on Russian citizens," the report said.
Separately, also on July 4, Russian media reported that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) demanded that Russian telecom operators stop providing voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony services.
"In fact, it is likely aimed at enhancing the Russian authorities' ability to monitor and restrict the communications of private citizens and entities," British intelligence adds.
The report also notes that both of these measures are consistent with Russia's efforts to control domestic information. These efforts are longstanding. Russia conducted an exercise to temporarily shut down Internet access in 2019 and passed a "sovereign Internet" law in the same year.
"However, these efforts intensified significantly after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. February 2022, when most independent media outlets were shut down or forced abroad, and increasingly draconian restrictions on citizens' access to foreign media," British intelligence summarized.
