Russia and – Vladimir Putin signed a law making it illegal to use VPN software in Russia starting November 1, while China permits VPN services only with government licensing and has required app stores to remove unlicensed VPN programs. The moves tighten enforcement around
For many people trying to reach websites blocked in their own countries, VPNs have long been a kind of workaround. That option is shrinking fast, with Russia and China tightening enforcement around the very software used to reroute encrypted internet traffic through third-party servers.
On Saturday. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that makes it illegal to use virtual private networking. or VPN. software within Russia.. The measure takes effect November 1.. VPNs encrypt and re-route internet traffic through a third-party server, often located in another country.. In places with strict censorship rules, the tools are commonly used to access websites that are prohibited.
Leonid Levin. the head of a technology parliamentary committee. said the new law is not meant to block access to content that is not already illegal to view inside Russia.. “My colleagues only included the restriction of access to information that is already forbidden by law or a court decision. ” he said. adding that the scope is limited to material already covered by existing legal or court prohibitions.
China’s approach differs in its structure but lands on the same practical target: VPN access.. Under Chinese law, companies may continue to offer VPN services and software, but only with a government license.. Network operators can also be held liable if their customers visit banned websites.. Apple, for its part, removed unlicensed VPN programs from its App Store earlier this month.. “We have been required to remove some VPN apps in China that do not meet the new regulations. ” the company said in a statement.. “These apps remain available in all other markets where they do business.”
The enforcement pressure sits against a broader backdrop of different levels of internet restriction in each country.. China’s censorship is described as far more restrictive than Russia’s. with the People’s Republic of China issuing a blanket ban of common websites like Facebook. Google. and many Western media outlets that remain accessible within Russia.
Both governments have also built compliance obligations into how internet and cloud services operate.. Both countries have laws forcing companies that provide cloud services within their borders to store customer data domestically rather than internationally.. The policy pressure on foreign providers has led to high-profile withdrawal: Google formally withdrew from China in 2010. even as it has held multiple discussions since then with China’s leadership about returning.
The tightening of online controls is not limited to politics.. China’s restrictions also include prohibitions on portrayals of “abnormal sexual relationships.” In 2016. the country banned television shows featuring homosexuality. adultery. sexual assault. adultery and one-night-stands.. Last month, the government expanded the rule to include web videos as well.. The government said those rules are being put in place to prohibit the glorification of “luxurious lifestyles” and ensure citizens adhere to “core socialist values.”
Even beyond Russia and China, the policy trend toward curbing online content has been spreading in other capitals.. The German parliament passed a regulation just last month aimed at curbing “fake news” websites.. Critics argue the German law is excessively broad and may prohibit free expression.. The measure increased fines for sites featuring defamatory content, up to $56 million.
The pattern is plain across the cases described: Russia criminalizes VPN use starting November 1 while insisting it targets information already forbidden by law or court decision. and China allows VPN tools only under licensing rules that make providers responsible when users reach banned sites—both approaches are tied to enforcement around prohibited content. not unrestricted browsing.
For users. the effect is immediate and personal: tools designed to bypass blocked access are being narrowed by law in Russia and by licensing and app-store enforcement in China.. And as those rules expand from political material toward broader categories of content. the gap between what internet users can reach and what governments consider allowable appears to be closing further.
Russia VPN ban Vladimir Putin China VPN licensing internet censorship App Store VPN removal cloud data localization online content restrictions Leonid Levin core socialist values