- Researchers found that 30 out of 30 Russian Android apps can detect VPNs
- The report identifies includes MAX, VK services and Yandex Browser
- As of April 15, Russian internet services are required to detect VPNs
The 30 most popular Android apps in Russia now track VPN access on the device, with 20 of these services actively blocking or limiting functionality when a connection is detected, according to recent research.
The data, collected by Russian digital rights group RKS Global, follows a separate investigation indicating that the state-controlled “super-app” MAX can monitor whether users are connected to a VPN.
The move comes as major Russian service providers were reportedly given an April 15 deadline to begin restricting VPN users.
Before the deadline, the same researchers found that only 22 of the tested apps scanned for VPN connections. On April 16, that number jumped to 100% of apps tested.
RKS Global told TechRadar that they expect this trend to grow as more developers are forced to comply with Kremlin directives.
Which apps scan for VPNs?
According to the RKS Global report, the list of applications capable of detecting VPNs includes the state-controlled “super-app” MAX, various local banking platforms and major Yandex services such as Yandex Browser, Maps and Music.
The researchers also identified VK services, including VK Video and Vkontakte, along with several local marketplaces, as having implemented these scanning features.
The study further claims that Yandex Browser is the only tested application that also searches for an active connection to Tor Browser.
When contacted by TechRadar, a Yandex spokesperson denied that the browser scans user devices for Tor, saying: “Tor Browser is listed on the list of more than 100 browser exclusions, including Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Brave, DuckDuckGo and others, for a single purpose: when a website asks the user to open its app, the browser should not redirect to another browser.”
The company also claimed that VPN detection methods are a “common market practice for location-aware functionality and content targeting” used by many major services in Russia and abroad.
When asked to confirm whether Yandex uses its VPN detection features to prevent users based in Russia from using its services, the spokesperson said: “We comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the markets in which we operate. We do not comment on internal systems or security-related processes.”
TechRadar has contacted VK and MAX for comment.
An obligation to detect VPNs
The findings appear to be related to government efforts to prevent VPN use to circumvent increased online restrictions.
In early April, Russia’s Minister of Digital Development instructed over 20 Russian online service providers how to detect and block VPN connections.
These measures are part of the Kremlin’s plan to “reduce VPN use” through new blocking obligations for businesses, along with new fines and fees for people caught using a VPN or similar circumvention tools.
Speaking to TechRadar, Amnezia VPN’s founder, Mazay Banzaev, compared such scanning obligations to how spyware works. “Popular Russian applications are encouraged to scan: device network settings, routing and DNS, the presence of system-level VPNs and proxies, and connection behavior,” he said.
How to avoid detection
The guidelines issued by the Ministry of Digital Development actually highlight several limitations in current VPN detection, which residents are now using as a roadmap for solutions.
RKS Global recommends driving a VPN on a router, as this makes detection more difficult because all traffic is routed through an encrypted tunnel before it even reaches the mobile or laptop.
The researchers also suggest having two separate units – one for Russian apps and one for foreign apps accessed with a VPN – if possible. If you only have one Android phone, you should consider activation of Android Work Profile to prevent apps from different profiles from connecting to each other.
Finally, it is worth remembering that officials’ instructions also warn that verifying active VPN connections is harder on iPhones as “access to system parameters on iOS is significantly limited.”
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