- Researchers found that 30 out of 30 Russian Android apps can detect VPNs
- The report identifies MAX, VK and Yandex Browser services.
- Starting April 15, Russian Internet Services Will Have to Detect VPNs
The 30 most popular Android apps in Russia now track VPN access on the device, and 20 of these services actively block or restrict functionality when a connection is detected, according to recent research.
The data, collected by Russian digital rights group RKS Global, follows a separate study indicating that state-controlled “super app” MAX can monitor whether users are connected to a VPN.
The change comes as major Russian service providers were reportedly given a deadline of April 15 to start restricting VPN users.
Before the deadline, the same researchers found that only 22 of the apps tested were looking for VPN connections. By April 16, that number jumped to 100% of tested apps.
RKS Global told TechRadar that they expect this trend to grow as more developers are forced to comply with the Kremlin’s directives.
What apps look for VPN?
According to the RKS Global report, the list of apps capable of detecting VPNs includes the state-controlled “super app” MAX, several local banking platforms, and major Yandex services such as Yandex Browser, Maps, and Music.
Investigators also identified that VK services, including VK Video and Vkontakte, along with several local marketplaces, had implemented these scanning capabilities.
The study further states that Yandex Browser is the only tested application that also looks for an active connection to the Tor browser.
When contacted by TechRadar, a Yandex spokesperson denied that the browser scans users’ devices for Tor, saying: “The Tor browser is mentioned in the list of more than 100 browser exclusions, including Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Brave, DuckDuckGo and others, for a single purpose: when a website asks the user to open its application, the browser should not redirect the user to another browser; doing so would be useless.”
The company also argued that VPN detection methods are “common market practice for content targeting and localization functionality” used by many major services in Russia and abroad.
When asked to confirm whether Yandex is using its VPN detection functionalities to prevent Russia-based users from using its services, the spokesperson said: “We comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the markets where we operate. We do not comment on internal systems or processes related to security.”
TechRadar has reached out to VK and MAX for comment.
The obligation to detect VPNs
The findings appear to be related to government pressure to prevent the use of VPNs to avoid increasing online restrictions.
In early April, Russia’s Minister of Digital Development instructed more than 20 Russian online service providers on how to detect and block VPN connections.
These measures are part of the Kremlin’s plan to “reduce VPN use” through new blocking obligations for companies, along with new fines and fees for people caught using a VPN or similar circumvention tools.
Speaking to TechRadar, Amnezia VPN founder Mazay Banzaev compared such scanning obligations to the operation of spyware. “Popular Russian apps are encouraged to scan: the device’s network settings, routing and DNS, the presence of VPNs and system-level proxies, as well as connection behavior,” he said.
How to evade detection
The guidelines issued by the Ministry of Digital Development actually highlight several limitations in current VPN detection, which residents are now using as a roadmap to find solutions.
RKS Global recommends executing a VPN on a router, since this makes detection difficult because all traffic is redirected through an encrypted tunnel even before it reaches the mobile or laptop.
The researchers also suggest having two separate devices – one for Russian apps and one for foreign apps accessed with a VPN, if possible. If you only have an Android phone, you should consider Activating the Android work profile to prevent applications from different profiles from linking to each other.
Finally, it is worth remembering that the officials’ instructions also warn that checking active VPN connections is harder on iPhones since “access to system parameters on iOS is significantly limited.”
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