A new parliament will soon be elected in Russia. The websites of many opposition politicians and the media are blocked – the authorities are now also blocking tools that can bypass these blocks.
Russia continues to restrict Internet use and has blocked six Protected Network Connection (VPN) providers. Blocked websites can be accessed with such VPN connections.
The media supervisory authority Roskomnadzor wants to prevent this, according to a statement on Friday. Virtual private networks promote “illegal activities” such as drug trafficking, extremism and child pornography, claims the Russian authority.
Thousands of Internet sites have been blocked in Russia, many of them from opposition members, but also from independent and critical media. The authorities justify the bans with violations of Russian laws. Critics, on the other hand, complain about censorship. Freedom of expression in the largest country in the world in terms of area is being increasingly restricted.
According to IT experts, among the blocked VPN providers, all of which are based abroad, the most popular in Russia are ExpressVPN and NordVPN. However, there are many other companies that offer such services. Russia had already banned the use of VPN networks to bypass blocked websites in 2017.
A good three months ago, the use of two providers was restricted. After that, according to research by the daily “Kommersant”, the prices for VPN tunnel connections rose significantly. Experts attributed this to higher demand. In Russia, a new parliament will be elected in just over two weeks. The authorities recently increased their actions against members of the opposition and those who think differently.
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
