Russians flock to virtual private networks to evade internet blockade

Tools to sidestep internet restrictions have surged in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine and the government's decision to block some social media services, including Facebook. Finding ways around Russia's internet blockade could enable its citizens to stay connected to the rest of the world and gather information from sources beyond state-owned outlets. Virtual private networks, or VPNs, enable users to hide their locations to evade location-based restrictions and make browsing more private by encrypting internet traffic. Demand for VPNs surged by 1,092 percent in Russia on March 5, the day after Russia blocked access to Facebook, according to Top10VPN.com. Demand in Ukraine climbed 609 percent higher than before the invasion began, according to the site, which tracks search volume data. Meanwhile, VPN providers are reporting spikes as well; Surfshark said average weekly sales in Russia have increased by 3,500 percent since Feb. 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, and spiked after the country blocked Facebook and other Western media. Another provider, ExpressVPN, said traffic to its website last week from Russia increased by about 330 percent week over week. Likewise, traffic from Ukraine increased by about 130 percent. VPN use in Russia is legal, but accessing officially blocked content is not according to Simon Migliano, head of research at Top10VPN. Russia is already trying to block VPN traffic at the network level, Migliano said, and he expects that to intensify.