Roskomnadzor is requiring internet service providers to hand over Russians' IP addresses so it can block VPNs
Roskomnadzor has begun issuing widespread requests to telecommunications companies to provide data on subscribers' IP addresses.
The regulatory agency reported that the relevant requests were sent out in March, and as of May 21, 85 telecom operators had been fined for failing to provide this information.
In total, written notices were sent to over 1,300 companies.
The Russian regulator emphasizes the legality of its actions and the non-negotiable nature of the instructions sent to operators.
The agency emphasized that, in accordance with current legislation, companies are required to provide users’ personal network identifiers.
According to the official version, this is necessary “to counter threats to the security of the Russian segment of the internet” and to ensure reliable protection against cyberattacks.
Tightening control over citizens’ online activity significantly expands the technical capabilities of intelligence agencies and supervisory bodies within the aggressor country.
Monitoring IP addresses allows for the detection and localization of the source of malicious traffic, as well as effective countermeasures against mass spam.
However, the main goal of such data collection is to restrict access to alternative news sources. Additionally, this data makes it possible to determine whether a user is using a VPN, added a source close to one of the operators.
Russian schools have begun holding lectures on the dangers of VPN services
Russian authorities to launch their own VPN without access to banned resources
Amid attempts to block hostile information resources in Russia, a massive service outage occurred again on April 6, particularly affecting state-run public services.
A similar outage occurred in Russia on April 3; telecom experts directly linked it to the operation of equipment designed to block unwanted resources. Founder Pavel Durov stated that the Russian authorities’ attempts to restrict VPN operations led to a large-scale failure in the national payment system.
