Starting March 1, 2024, there were discussions about blocking VPN services in Russia. This was reported by Komsomolskaya Pravda, citing remarks made by Ekaterina Mizulina, the head of the Safe Internet League, during a gathering with students at school No. 1 in Yekaterinburg on February 5.
During the Q&A, a student asked Mizulina whether VPNs could indeed be blocked in March. Mizulina responded that such a development was possible and anticipated.
She noted that proxy anonymizers and VPN services could not be completely eliminated. Individuals with enough know-how can potentially create their own proxies at home. She emphasized that this is not a technical impossibility for an informed person. The implication was that circumvention tools might persist even amid government efforts to restrict access.
According to Mizulina, the use of VPNs can expose user data to be intercepted or stolen, with operators of VPN services potentially sharing information with fraudsters. This concern formed part of a broader rationale for government action aimed at limiting VPN use within the country.
Official statements and promises shared through Mizulina’s channels suggested that further clarifications would be provided as events unfolded. In a subsequent note, a promise of a full video was mentioned to illustrate the points discussed during the meeting.
Separately, former Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko raised a separate topic about Russia’s digital infrastructure, indicating that the rollout of 5G stations would begin in 2025. This statement underscored the broader context in which discussions about online security, infrastructure, and access were taking place.