VPNs Give Russians an End Run Around Censorship

As the invasion of Ukraine continues, Russian citizens have turned to virtual private networks — boosting demand for the software by 27x — to circumvent the government's blocks on social media and news sites critical of the war.

Dark Reading, Staff & Contributors

March 17, 2022

1 Min Read
abstract image of VPN with connectors
Source: Alexander Supertramp via Shutterstock

Russian citizens seeking to continue using social media sites and accessing international news have caused the demand for virtual private network (VPN) services to spike by a factor of 27 on Monday and a factor of 16 on Tuesday, compared to the daily average in February, according to industry sources.

In early March, the Russian government severely limited the bandwidth of systems trying to access several social media services, including Facebook and Instagram, labeling the networks' parent company Meta an extremist organization for allowing calls of violence against the Russian government on the platforms. On March 11, Russia announced it would completely block Instagram.

Provider Atlas VPN saw a wave of new installations beginning on March 11, when the Russian government announced its decision to block Instagram. The surge peaked on March 14 with increase in installations of its product that reached 110 times the normal amount, says spokesman Edvardad Garbenis.

Read the Full Article on Dark Reading

About the Author

Dark Reading

Staff & Contributors

Dark Reading: Connecting The Information Security Community

Long one of the most widely-read cybersecurity news sites on the Web, Dark Reading is also the most trusted online community for security professionals. Our community members include thought-leading security researchers, CISOs, and technology specialists, along with thousands of other security professionals.

Never Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.

You May Also Like


More Insights