Russian Government Intensifies VPN Restrictions, Impacting Internet Access
Russia has recently intensified its restrictions on the use of virtual private networks (VPNs), which are commonly used to bypass state censorship and access banned news sites, Western services, and social media platforms. The Russian government has instructed telecom operators and major services to block VPN users by April 15. As a result, banks, video streaming sites, online retailers, and search engines are now blocking access for users detected with an active VPN connection. Additionally, Russia's four major telecom operators have disabled the ability to pay for Apple IDs via mobile bills to disrupt VPN subscriptions. Over 20 popular websites in Russia are required to restrict access if a user has a VPN enabled. Despite these measures, officials claim that no outright VPN bans are in place. Other indirect restrictions include imposing fees on mobile users consuming more than 15 GB of international data per month, expected to be implemented by May. Authorities have also been throttling Telegram and What... 
