Russians Boost VPN Downloads 14-Fold to 9.2 Million as Kremlin Tightens Internet Controls
Updated
Updated · Ynetnews · Jun 13
Russians Boost VPN Downloads 14-Fold to 9.2 Million as Kremlin Tightens Internet Controls
3 articles · Updated · Ynetnews · Jun 13
Summary
9.2 million downloads of the five most popular VPN apps were recorded on Google Play in March, 14 times a year earlier, as Russians sought ways around blocks on WhatsApp, Telegram and other foreign services.
The surge followed Russia’s broadest internet crackdown under Vladimir Putin, including mobile internet shutdowns, slower or blocked access to apps and websites, and April orders for banks, retailers and state offices to deny access to users with VPNs enabled.
Those curbs have spilled into daily life and business: Wildberries’ traffic fell 10% after VPN restrictions, delivery drivers used shop Wi-Fi during Moscow outages, and paper map sales in the capital more than doubled.
The pressure has also become political, with Putin’s approval sliding from 75.1% in February to 65.6% in April before recovering to nearly 67%, as frustration over digital curbs added to inflation, tax hikes and war fatigue ahead of September elections.
Even as officials push state-backed app MAX in the name of “digital sovereignty,” many users and some officials still rely on VPNs and separate phones, prompting the Kremlin to soften its rhetoric and delay a proposed foreign-data surcharge until after the vote.