The VPN service provider Le VPN announced earlier today that its app was removed from the Apple App Store in Russia.
This unprecedented action followed a demand from Roskomnadzor, Russia’s federal executive body for media and telecommunications. The removal was cited as due to non-compliance with local legal requirements, specifically referencing content deemed illegal in Russia.
Le VPN removal
Roskomnadzor’s directive aligns with No. 7 of Article 15.1 of the Federal Law dated July 27, 2006, No. 149-FZ “On Information, Information Technologies and Information Protection.” This move marks a significant step in Roskomnadzor’s efforts to control internet access and content within Russian territory. The decision to compel a major technology company like Apple to remove an app is seen as an escalation in their regulatory enforcement.
Following the notification, Le VPN confirmed the app’s removal and immediately reached out to Roskomnadzor for further clarification. The company has also filed an appeal against the decision. Russian users reported the app’s unavailability shortly after the announcement, verifying the enforcement of the removal.
Le VPN is collaborating with human rights activists and other VPN providers to assess the broader implications of this move. Although only one other VPN service has been confirmed as blocked so far, there are concerns that more could follow.
Le VPN
Broader implications
Le VPN first became a target of Roskomnadzor scrutiny in 2018 after supporting the Telegram messaging service during its legal battles in Russia. Despite previous attempts to block the service, Le VPN has continued to operate effectively within Russia until now, implementing various bypasses and strategic decisions such as basing VPN servers near Russian borders to continue serving people without compromising their privacy.
While Le VPN is relatively small, with around 100,000 downloads on Google Play, Roskomnadzor’s latest action could signal a new strategy that might impact larger VPN apps, which, while officially banned, can still be accessed and used within Russia. This includes major VPN providers like NordVPN and ExpressVPN, that are known to work well in Russia even though they’re officially banned.
People might resort to sourcing up-to-date client apps from outside the App Store. However, sideloading apps in iOS isn’t straightforward, and there’s always the risk of downloading trojanized VPN apps that hide malware.
Update 7/5 – Russian media report that the latest action has also impacted NordVPN, ProtonVPN, and RedShieldVPN, all of which have also been removed from the Russian App Store. However, the vendors haven’t confirmed the removal yet.
Update 7/8 – RedShieldVPN has confirmed via a statement published on its website that Apple has removed its client app from the Russian App Store.
Russia’s attacks on privacy services
The removal of Le VPN is part of a broader trend of escalating internet censorship in Russia. Recently, Russia began testing blocks on the OpenVPN protocol on several mobile internet service providers, including MTS, Tele2, Megafon, Colna, Yota, and Beeline. Users reported connectivity issues and disruptions to services using OpenVPN, indicating a strategic move to prevent internet users from accessing the web privately.
The Russian state has already blocked or prohibited the use of the most reliable and trustworthy VPNs, such as NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, VyprVPN, Opera VPN, and PrivateTunnel. Additionally, in November 2023, the Shadowsocks protocol, a popular tool for bypassing internet censorship, was also banned.
As Roskomnadzor continues to expand its control over internet access, global tech companies operating in jurisdictions with stringent regulatory environments may face similar pressures.
Recommendations
Russian users who value their privacy and need to access restricted internet resources should consider the following:
- Select a VPN product offering multiple protocol options and try connecting with one that is not actively targeted by Roskomnadzor.
- Use special obfuscating tools like ‘GoodbyeDPI’ to make OpenVPN traffic appear as regular internet traffic.
- Utilize the ‘Domain Fronting ‘system incorporated into VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN or the ‘GhostBear ‘system in Tunnelbear for obfuscating network traffic.
- Consider using the Shadowsocks encryption protocol to bypass aggressive internet censorship measures.
- We also have a guide on the best VPNs for Russia discussing different options and payment methods.
Data Breach at ID Verification Service Highlights Privacy Dangers
There’s an update on this
RKN sent the notice with 24 hours takedown request.
Apple hasn’t transmitted it and just removed the apps to comply.
https://www.le-vpn.com/le-vpn-responds-to-removal-from-russian-app-store-reveals-rkn-notice-details/
Ok, what about the russian war and a world view of the united nations situation for any technology progress. Or hopes for reimbursement of aid given to ukraine defending itself. Since, China, Russia, and Ukraine have the following precious minerals for technology industries in common. So who stands to control the worlds supply if ukraine should lose this war?
I believe this braveAI answer (at top) says a lot.
Totally done on this article. Thanks = ) Alex
What happen to the link ?
Ok you can use the terms –
“China, Russia, and Ukraine precious minerals for technology industries”
in Braves search and answer with the search AI option.
OR
SEE results like…
Russia’s motivation for invading Ukraine surely encompasses a wide range of strategic, ideological, political, and economic reasons. And while it may not have been a main factor in prompting the full-scale aggression launched on February 24, 2022, one consideration in the Kremlin was likely Ukraine’s large reserves of critical metals and their global strategic importance in the decades to come. The Ukrainian exit from this space has particular strategic relevance at this time. Namely, the armed conflict on Europe’s doorstep has forced Western societies to rethink their dependence on energy imports from Russia and to ramp up the move to non-renewable sources of energy. But the cutoff of access to Ukrainian sources, combined with the nature of the partnership between Moscow and Beijing — with China being the largest supplier of the necessary critical minerals — may endanger the very notion of the West’s energy transition.
The link was so long it messed up the formatting of the entire page lol – so I had to remove it. Thanks
Yes, I agree it was long. I tried to use two url shorteners to no avail. Since, it wasn’t actually a website url and I guess just the search results index url. May have been why and even in brackets made it a bust for posting.
Thanks sir = )
Alex, on the West’s energy transition. The first modern electric car hit the US market in 2010. Salvage and landfills start to fill… The lack of any proper regulated lithium-ion recycling infrastructure and it’s technology is a significant barrier to recycling EV batteries.
Currently, the only EV battery material worth recycling is cobalt. This leaves lithium, manganese, and nickel, among other materials, that may not be economically recyclable or require additional processing that drives up the costs of recycling.
Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, generates energy intermittently, making energy storage crucial to ensure a stable and reliable energy supply.
Local energy systems (small-scale Microgrids) that can operate independently of the main grid. Can store excess energy generated by renewable sources and provide backup power during outages. The generated electricity is stored in battery banks, which are designed to store excess energy for later use.
WHAT are the Benefits in
Using EV batteries for local small-scale microgrids?
Renewable Energy Integration:
– EV batteries can store excess energy generated by wind and solar power, allowing for a higher percentage of renewable energy to be integrated into the microgrid.
– EV batteries can reduce peak energy demand during periods of high energy usage, reducing the strain on the grid and lowering energy costs.
– EV batteries can provide backup power during outages or periods of low energy production, ensuring that the microgrid remains operational.
– EV batteries can reduce energy costs by storing excess energy generated by wind and solar power, reducing the need for fossil fuels and lowering energy bills.
– EV battery packs can range from hundreds to thousands of individual cells, depending on the vehicle’s range and energy consumption.
“The Russian state has already blocked or prohibited the use of the most reliable and trustworthy VPNs, such as NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, VyprVPN, Opera VPN, and PrivateTunnel. ”
“We also have a guide on the best VPNs for Russia discussing different options and payment methods.” (the link shows, in order: Nord VPN, Surfshark VPN, Express VPN, and then Perfect Privacy VPN)
so they block or prohibit the use of 2 of the “best VPNs for Russia” according to your own list…? So which do they block and which ones do they prohibit?
– John (been reading RestorePrivacy for at least the past like 4 years)
Hey John, after the article was published we read that Russia has forced the removal most of the big name VPNs via the app store (so we updated the article to include more than just Le VPN). That said, using VPN obfuscation provided by these VPN services, you should still be able to get around these blocks. It will be important if you are traveling to Russia to have the VPN(s) installed on your devices before you get there, and to also use obfuscated protocols and/or methods to bypass VPN censorship. Just because Russia has forced the removal of reliable VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN from the app store, does not necessarily mean these VPNs won’t work in the country. The same situation has been going on for years in China. The government will roll out censorship efforts, and then VPNs typically respond with bypassing solutions via obfuscation.
This was my path to understand,
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Russia] is a good read.
Note, “History” and “Status”
In 2004 only a minority of Russians (8% of the population) had Internet access. In May 2008, some 32.7 million users in Russia had access to the Internet (almost 30% of the population). In 2012, 75.9 million Russians (53% of the population) had access. In December 2015, most of the country, 92.8 million Russians (70% of the population) had Internet access.
AND
Russia was rated “partly free” in Freedom on the Net by Freedom House in 2009 (score 49), 2011 (score 52), 2012 (score 52), 2013 (score 54), and 2014 (score 60) and as “not free” in 2015 (score 62), 2016 (score 65), 2017 (score 66), and 2018 (score 67) where scores range from 0 (most free) to 100 (least free).
Russia was on Reporters Without Borders list of countries under surveillance from 2010 to 2013 and was moved to the Internet Enemies list in 2014.
Russia was found to engage in selective Internet filtering in the political and social areas and evidence of filtering was found in the conflict/security and Internet tools areas by the OpenNet Initiative in December 2010.
Since at least 2015, Russia has been collaborating with Chinese Great Firewall security officials in implementing its data retention and filtering infrastructure.
In September 2019, Roskomnadzor began installing equipment to isolate Russia, including mobile phones, from the rest of the Internet in the event the government directs such action, as required by a law taking effect in November 2019. The government’s justification was to counteract potential cyber attacks from the United States, but some worried it might create an online “Iron Curtain”.
[https://therecord.media/we-are-unstoppable-how-a-team-of-polish-programmers-built-a-digital-tool-to-evade-russian-censorship]
Need a decent ad blocker to read this [https://www.wired.com/story/amnezia-vpn-russia-censorship/]
APR 7, 2023
“Unlike commercial VPNs that route users through company servers, which can be blocked, Amnezia VPN makes it simple for users to buy and set up their own servers. This allows them to choose their own IP address and use protocols that are
[https://apnews.com/article/russia-crackdown-surveillance-censorship-war-ukraine-internet-dab3663774feb666d6d0025bcd082fba]
May 23, 2023
“The Kremlin has indeed become the beneficiary of digitalization and is using all opportunities for state propaganda, for surveilling people, for de-anonymizing internet users,” said Sarkis Darbinyan, head of legal practice at Roskomsvoboda, a Russian internet freedom group the Kremlin deems a “foreign agent.”
To sum up and from my perspective, (maybe limited by War) but, a law to protect PII (Personally Identifiable Information) DATA. Are laws aimed to protect the privacy and security of individuals’ personal data. These laws vary across jurisdictions, but they share a common goal of safeguarding sensitive information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.
Only seeing thrse laws can be used/misused, adopted/altered to restrict and/or censor all intrrnet individuals under that governments laws.
Yet the world gearsup for life dependent on the world wide use of the internet. Ex: send an email cheaply versus mailing that same information by postage.
Thanks for the overview BITR
Sorry, for some typo’s I’ve in my haste to post, had missed.
I was trying to see the birds-eye view and share it, as for digitalization in the realm to privacy and personal freedoms lost.
Please use any and all the information to path how an dictatorial leadership (Ex: Russia-etc.) will use digitalization to control and further harm it’s own population in their use of the internet. As well, barring it’s population’s access to any other world-wide opinion’s of that dictatorial leadership there towards everything it harms.
Moving on, thank you sir.
Most notably, as of December 2015, 92.8 million Russians (70% of the population) had Internet access.
The same year Russia had started collaborating with Chinese Great Firewall security officials in implementing its data retention and filtering infrastructure.
Fast foreward a decade later