Russians using VPNs to access blocked sites like Facebook and instagram: Report

Russians have been using Virtual private networks, or VPNs, to access blocked sites such as Meta's Facebook and Instagram. “Nearly a third of respondents (30%) have reduced ir visits to se [Instagram and Facebook] services due to need to use a VPN," a study has claimed, according to Moscow's state news agency TASS. At same time, 26% have not stopped using Facebook, Instagram and or blocked services because ir use is not prohibited by law." 

Following  invasion of Ukraine, Russian government took drastic measures of blocking Western social media services, including Facebook and Instagram as a retaliatory move to ban on Russian news outlets. Russian citizens are now eving  location-based restrictions by accessing banned sites on VPN that allows more private browsing by encrypting internet traffic.  VPNs demand in Moscow has surged by 1,092% shortly after ban was announced on access to Facebook, and Instagram, Top10VPN.com said citing data to back figures.

Russians downloed topmost eight popular VPN apps almost 12,848 times

Since February, Russians have downloed topmost eight popular VPN apps almost 12,848 times. And  average weekly sales of VPNs spiked by a whopping 3,500% since Feb. 24, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Russians, refore, are trying to bypass government's restrictive internet controls and measures to keep updated with recent events. VPNs also keep internet user’s identities and locations discreet while browsing banned sites. Moscow exercises internet bans and blocke of sites under its 2019 “sovereign internet” law that allows governement to snap access to sites over threat to security or espionage. Popular western websites have also been snapped over issues of protection against foreign cyberattacks.

But since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, traffic to virtual private network (VPN) service Windscribe from Russia spiked by a factor of twenty, Cana-based VPN company Windscribe's CEO Yegor Sak reportedly said. firm allows Russian to eve Russia President Putin's tightening measures around internet by masking Russian citizens' exact locations. As Russia inved Ukraine on Feb. 24, hundreds of news outlets websites, and social networks disappeared from Russian web, disconnecting Russians from world. A Russian court banned  parent company of Meta, Facebook and Instagram for its “extremist” activity. Platforms were previously blocked by Russian media watchdog Roskomnzor.