Major Russian companies have been forced into a “witch-hunt” against users trying to access the global internet, according to new research. The Kremlin’s latest move marks a significant escalation in its efforts to cut Russian citizens off from international online platforms.
Banks and web platforms are now actively collecting data on users of virtual private networks (VPNs), which hide a person’s location and allow access to sites blocked in Russia. This surveillance operation affects tens of millions of Russians who rely on VPNs to reach the broader internet, particularly after authorities banned platforms like Facebook and Instagram following the invasion of Ukraine.
Major apps caught collecting VPN data
An investigation by RKS Global, an internet freedom advocacy group, analyzed 30 popular Russian apps and found widespread surveillance. The apps examined included those from major players like T-Bank, Sberbank, search engine Yandex, and social media platform VKontakte.
The findings were striking:
- 22 out of 30 apps actively detected VPN usage or installation
- Most apps stored this data on servers accessible to security services
- Some apps continued scanning for VPNs even when closed
- The level of device intrusion can be “very high”
“Any Android app released by Russian companies for the Russian market may now be spying,” RKS Global warned in their report.
Growing risks for Russian internet users
While VPN use isn’t technically illegal in Russia, the legal landscape is shifting rapidly. Russian courts have begun treating VPN usage as an aggravating factor in criminal prosecutions this year, putting users at greater risk.
Mazay Banzaev, founder of open-source VPN company Amnezia, highlighted the invasive nature of the surveillance: “It’s one thing if Russian IT companies were to ‘catch’ users the moment they visit a site with a VPN enabled. It is quite another when even a closed application continues scanning the phone for VPN usage.”
This development severely limits options for millions of Russians who want to communicate with the outside world, making such activities increasingly dangerous.
Broader internet restrictions tighten
The VPN surveillance campaign is part of a larger effort to throttle internet access across Russia. Over the past year, authorities have implemented several restrictive measures:
- Mobile network blackouts across large regions, later spreading to Moscow and St. Petersburg
- Blocking of Telegram, a messaging app essential for daily communication
- Aggressive promotion of a government-controlled “superapp” called Max with extensive surveillance capabilities
These restrictions have forced some Russians to resort to paper maps and pagers for navigation and communication, highlighting the severity of the digital crackdown.
A new era of active censorship
Unlike countries such as Iran that can implement complete internet shutdowns, Russia’s internet infrastructure makes this approach difficult. Instead, the Kremlin has adopted what researchers call a “piecemeal and indirect approach” to cutting off the population.
This shift from passive blocking to active surveillance through private companies represents a major escalation. RKS Global describes it as a transition to a new level of digital censorship where “little of Russians’ private lives would be out of reach of authorities.”
The investigation’s findings suggest that Russia’s digital iron curtain is becoming more sophisticated and pervasive, with private companies now serving as unwilling accomplices in the state’s surveillance apparatus. For the millions of Russians who depend on VPNs to access independent news and communicate freely, the walls are closing in.