- Russian telecom operators ask to postpone the introduction of VPN traffic fees
- Companies cite technical obstacles
- VPN traffic charges are part of a wider plan to reduce VPN usage in the country
Russian telecom operators have called on the Ministry of Digital Development to postpone the introduction of new fees on VPN traffic.
According to the Moscow-based business daily Vedomost, providers claim that technical limitations mean their systems will not be ready for the planned May 1 rollout.
In late March, Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadaev instructed operators to charge extra fees to users who exceed 15 GB of international data per month.
The move is part of a broader strategy to reduce VPN use as more residents adopt the technology to bypass blocks on platforms like Telegram.
VPNs work by redirecting traffic through encrypted international servers. This masks a user’s IP address and allows them to bypass domestic censorship to access blocked websites
Technical problems or a fundamental error?
In addition to the new fees, Moscow has ordered ISPs to detect and block VPN traffic. Those obligations came into effect on April 15, with digital rights groups now claiming that the 30 most popular Android apps in the country already monitor active VPN connections.
Maxim Katz, a prominent Russian opposition figure who tracks VPN connectivity in the region, says these efforts signal how Roskomnadzor — Russia’s censorship agency — lacks the technical capabilities to prevent residents from using VPNs to circumvent government-imposed restrictions.
“They can’t do it technically, and now they want the companies to help them. But the companies don’t want to help them,” Katz told TechRadar. He also suggested that companies are likely to obey the orders, but that in practice “nothing would actually change.”
Despite mounting criticism, the Kremlin shows no signs of relenting. Earlier this week, officials announced plans for a ‘whitelist’ of government-approved VPNs, while President Putin defended recent internet outages as a necessary security measure.
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