On July 4, 2024. At the request of Russian regulator Roskomnadzor, several virtual private network (VPN) apps have been removed from the Russian version of the App Store, independent Russian media reported. This follows previous removals of VPN apps in 2022 and 2023. "Roskomnadzor," which since March 2024 has the power to block access to VPN services without a court order, justified the ban on the presence of "illegal content". This is written in the daily report of British military intelligence.
VPN allows users to block tracking of their Internet traffic, maintain privacy, and bypass state-imposed censorship by "hiding" behind IP addresses abroad and thus circumvent the restriction of access to popular social networks such as "Instagram", Facebook" and X, as well as other services such as the streaming platform "Netflix" for example.·
Latest Defense Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 06 July 2024.
Find out more about Defense Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/zQKIV2K27R #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com /EeoiPqT4zd— Ministry of Defense 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) July 6, 2024
On the same day, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) demanded that telecom operators stop providing Voice over Internet (VoIP) services, citing the need to reduce fraud. Indeed, these measures are likely intended to increase the authorities' control over the communications of citizens and corporate entities.
These actions are part of Russia's long-standing efforts to control the domestic information environment and limit citizens' access to independent and international information, intensified since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.