- Russia reportedly began restricting Telegram over the weekend.
- Access is not yet completely disrupted, but a complete lockdown is expected in April.
- Some VPN apps still help Russian Telegram users get back online
Russia reportedly began restricting Telegram over the weekend as the government attempts to shut down the country’s most popular messaging service.
While access is not yet completely disrupted, a complete lockdown is expected in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, some VPN apps continue to successfully help Russian users stay online.
This follows an increase in complaints over the weekend on the Downdetector and Sboi.rf platforms. Users across Russia are reportedly unable to open the app, send messages, or upload media.
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However, outages currently appear inconsistent, and functionality varies by location and network type. The latest data from OONI (Open Observatory of Network Interference) indicates that some connections are still working as expected.
Authorities say the blocks are necessary because Telegram failed to safeguard personal data or combat criminal activity, but CEO Pavel Durov maintains the move is a political attempt to force citizens to use MAX, a state-controlled alternative.
Are VPNs still effective against Telegram restrictions?
VPN services are often a quick fix for these types of blocks, thanks to their IP spoofing capabilities, which means users can appear as if they are browsing from a different country.
However, using a VPN in Russia is becoming an increasingly complex game of cat and mouse.
Last week, government official Andrey Svintsov stated that Roskomnadzor now possesses the technical capability to selectively restrict VPN traffic. He argued that Telegram will eventually stop working even with an active VPN.
Despite these threats, some providers remain optimistic. Alexis Roussel, COO of NymVPN, informed X that their product is still successfully accessing Telegram within Russia. Google Trends data also shows a massive increase in searches for “VPN” over the weekend, suggesting that Russian citizens are actively searching for solutions.
While Roskomnadzor has entered a more sophisticated phase of censorship, the battle is far from over. At least for now, it seems like some VPN providers are one step ahead.
TechRadar has contacted Russian provider Amnezia VPN for more information and will update this page as we receive more information.
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