MOSCOW: A Moscow interior designer says her daily routine now involves juggling multiple devices, switching between messaging apps and repeatedly turning her VPN on and off just to access blocked services.
Irina is among a growing number of Russians adapting to tighter internet restrictions imposed by the Kremlin this year, which have made access to foreign platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram increasingly difficult. Users have responded by relying on virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass restrictions.
According to a BBC report, VPN usage in Russia has surged sharply. In March alone, there were 9.2 million downloads of the top five VPN applications on Google Play about 14 times higher than the same month last year, according to Moscow-based consultancy Digital Budget, as cited by Kommersant.
Polling data from the Levada Center shows the share of Russians admitting to VPN use has risen from 23% in 2022 to 36% this year.
The increased reliance on circumvention tools comes amid broader political and economic pressures. Surveys by VTsIOM indicate President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating fell from 75.1% in February to 65.6% in April, its lowest level since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, when support briefly rose above 67%.
Authorities have promoted a domestic messaging platform, MAX, introduced last year and now reporting more than 85 million daily users.
However, concerns persist among some users and employees of state institutions who reportedly separate its use onto different devices due to fears of surveillance claims the developer, VK, denies.
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Meanwhile, Putin has reportedly warned officials that relying solely on bans is “counterproductive,” and plans to impose additional charges on VPN users were quietly postponed in May.
