- Russian telecom operators ask to delay the introduction of VPN traffic rates
- Companies cite technical obstacles
- VPN traffic fees are part of a broader plan to reduce VPN usage in the country
Russian telecom operators have asked the Ministry of Digital Development to postpone the introduction of new tariffs for VPN traffic.
According to Moscow-based business daily Vedomost, vendors say technical limitations mean their systems will not be ready for the planned May 1 launch.
In late March, Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadaev ordered operators to impose additional charges on 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 such as Telegram.
VPNs work by rerouting traffic through encrypted international servers. This masks a user’s IP address and allows them to bypass national censorship to access blocked websites.
Technical problems or a fundamental defect?
In addition to the new fees, Moscow has ordered ISPs to detect and block VPN traffic. These obligations went into effect on April 15, and digital rights groups now claim that the 30 most popular Android apps in the country are already monitoring active VPN connections.
Maxim Katz, a prominent Russian opposition figure who tracks VPN connectivity in the region, says these efforts indicate how Roskomnadzor (the Russian censorship agency) lacks the technical capabilities to prevent residents from using VPNs to bypass government-imposed restrictions.
“They can’t do it technically and now they want companies to help them. But companies don’t want to help them,” Katz told TechRadar. He also suggested that companies would probably obey the orders, but that, in practice, “nothing would really change.”
Despite growing 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 shutdowns as a necessary security measure.
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