Russian authorities have implemented new measures to restrict digital communications and control the domestic information environment. On July 4, 2024, several Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications were removed from the Russian version of the App Store at the request of Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communications regulator, the British Ministry of Defense reported in its July 6 intelligence report.
On the same day, Russian media reported that the Federal Security Service (FSB) demanded that Russian telecom operators stop offering Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony services. The FSB cited fraud prevention as the official reason for this measure.
These measures are part of Russia’s broader strategy to restrict access to independent and foreign media while increasing government surveillance. This effort has escalated since Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which led to the closure or relocation of independent media and tighter controls on access to foreign media.
The ministry wrote:
- According to Russian independent media, several Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications were removed from the Russian version of the App Store on July 4, 2024, at the request of Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor. This follows previous removals of VPN apps in 2022 and 2023. Roskomnadzor was granted the authority to block access to VPN services without referral to a court in March 2024. Roskomnadzor justified the ban on the grounds that the apps “contain content that is 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 the security services to monitor Russian citizens.
- Separately, Russian media reported on July 4 that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) demanded that Russian telecom operators stop offering Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony services. VoIP is increasingly becoming the international industry standard due to its broadband efficiency and ability to integrate telephony into a unified communications system, along with email and videoconferencing. The FSB’s unlikely official justification is that the measure is intended to reduce instances of fraud. In reality, it is most likely intended to increase the ability of Russian authorities to monitor and restrict communications by private individuals and business entities.
- These two measures are both in line with Russia’s efforts to control its domestic information environment and restrict citizens’ access to information that does not conform to government narratives. This effort has been ongoing for a long time. In 2019, Russia conducted exercises to temporarily shut down Russian access to the internet and introduced “Sovereign Internet” legislation in Ukraine. However, this effort has accelerated significantly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which saw most independent media outlets shut down or forced to move abroad, and increasingly draconian restrictions on citizens’ ability to access foreign media. The impact of these restrictions remains to be seen, as educated urban Russians continue to find inventive ways to circumvent these measures.
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