- Google Reportedly Received 233 VPN Takedown Orders in Russia in March
- Requests to remove 500 URLs from Search were also issued in April.
- ZoogVPN removed from Google Play, but marked as “malicious”
Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor issued takedown orders for 233 apps on Google Play in March 2026 alone, specifically targeting tools designed to bypass internet restrictions.
The findings, first reported by Top Stories, serve as another example of how Russian censors are stepping up their crackdown on VPN use across the country.
TechRadar also identified records in the Lumen Database, a US nonprofit that tracks global content removal requests, detailing an April request from Roskomnadzor to remove more than 500 URLs from Google Search results in Russia. The order cited Federal Law No. 276-FZ of 2017, which prohibits the use of VPN services to access state-blocked content.
However, Google appears to largely resist these demands. Speaking to TechRadar in April last year, Benjamin Ismail, director of campaign and advocacy at GreatFire, said only six apps were removed despite more than 200 blocking orders. It’s unclear how many apps were removed as a result of the most recent round of orders.
Google mostly resists takedown orders, but ZoogVPN disappears
Takedown orders targeting app store providers are nothing new. According to data from Important Stories, Roskomnadzor has requested that Google delist at least 1,379 VPN services and other circumvention tools since 2024.
The big tech giant was fined 22.8 million rubles last February, specifically for failing to comply with takedown orders and for allegedly promoting VPN services through ads on Google Play.
By comparison, Apple doesn’t reveal all the details about the takedown requests it receives. However, the company was found to have removed at least 60 VPN apps in 2024 alone from its Russian App Store, including major providers like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Proton VPN.
Apple’s 2024 App Store Transparency Report also shows that 171 apps were removed from the Russian App Store during the year, at the request of the government. Last week, it was also reported that Apple removed some custom VPN clients from the Russian App Store.
The popular ZoogVPN blocking service is available on the Play Market. Google is using all Google Apps to publish apps on Android. Google Play automatic apps recommend using ZoogVPN with the user and the rest of the apps. Also,… pic.twitter.com/FL43UurLWiApril 7, 2026
However, it is worth noting that on Tuesday (April 7), a Russian civil society group, First Department, reported that a popular VPN app in the country, ZoogVPN, was removed from Google Play after being deemed “malicious.”
However, Google is removing some apps. On Tuesday, Russian civil society group First Department reported that ZoogVPN, a popular VPN in Russia, had been removed from Google Play after being flagged as “malicious.”
Android users reportedly received system notifications from Google Play Protect urging them to uninstall the app and revoke its permissions. However, the ZoogVPN developers claim that this may be a “false positive” rather than a legitimate security threat.
It is still unclear whether the removal of ZoogVPN is directly related to the increase in Russian takedown orders or if it is an unrelated technical issue. TechRadar reached out to Google for clarification but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Greater need for VPN
In what digital rights experts have called “the Great Russian Internet Crackdown,” residents are finding it increasingly difficult to access the open web.
Large centers such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg have They have reportedly become testing grounds for a “whitelist” censorship regime, where only previously approved sites can be accessed. At the same time, access to the popular messaging app Telegram has been restricted, with critics suggesting it is a strategic move to push users towards the state-controlled MAX app.
As VPNs become an essential lifeline for many Russians, authorities are stepping up their crackdown on circumvention tools.
Last week, Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadaev launched a plan to “reduce VPN usage,” introducing new blocking mandates for companies along with fines and fees for individual VPN users.
Despite these challenges, some censorship-resistant VPNs, such as Amnezia VPN, Windscribe, and NymVPN, told TechRadar that they are still working in the country.
