Popular VPN Services Blocked by Russian Authorities
During ongoing monitoring of the Russian registry of banned information, it was discovered that Roskomnadzor has blocked several major and popular VPN services.
- Lantern was banned by a decision dated April 24, 2024. More details can be found in the registry:
reestr.rublacklist.net/ru/record/6976888 - Proton VPN was blocked on March 12, 2024. The restriction applies to all domains and subdomains associated with the service:
reestr.rublacklist.net/ru/record/6840904The website for Proton Mail, the Swiss secure email service developed by the same company, has been blocked by the Prosecutor General’s Office since January 2020.
- Outline was also blocked by Roskomnadzor on April 24, 2024:
reestr.rublacklist.net/ru/record/6976798 - Red Shield VPN was blocked on March 6, 2024:
reestr.rublacklist.net/ru/record/6976639
Reasons for the Block and Other Affected Services
It is clear that these and other similar services are being blocked under the law prohibiting information about bypassing internet restrictions. There are now over a hundred such links and sites on the banned registry. Some, like Amnezia, have been added to the list more than once, while others, such as vpnMentor, are added regularly.
Additionally, today the registry included the websites FreeOpenVPN, CroxyProxy, and a link to the popular service Hide.me with information on restoring access to Facebook.