Russia blocks messengers and VPNs – and its banks too
9 hours ago
- #State-controlled internet
- #Russia VPN blocks
- #Digital payment disruptions
- Russia experienced widespread failures in digital payment options on Good Friday due to new VPN filtering systems.
- Many banking apps reportedly stopped working, as VPN blocks also affected digital payment traffic; the situation has since stabilized.
- Russian Digital Minister announced intensified efforts against VPNs in late March 2026.
- Telegram founder Pavel Durov claims 65 million daily active Russian users rely on VPNs to access the banned messenger.
- Apple restricted subscription payments from Russia starting April 1, 2026, likely to curb VPN service subscriptions.
- Russia is pushing for adoption of its state-controlled messenger 'MAX', modeled after WeChat, while blocking Western messengers like WhatsApp.