Russia has banned VPNs capable of circumventing website blocking, and will require users of chat apps to have a phone number associated with their accounts:
Vladimir Putin has banned virtual private networks (VPNs) and Tor in a crackdown on apps that allow access to websites prohibited in Russia. The law, signed by Mr Putin, was passed by Russia's parliament last week and will now come into force on 1 November. A second law to ban anonymous use of online messaging services will take effect on 1 January next year.
It would make it easier for the state to snoop on citizens' browsing habits, one internet security expert suggested.
The laws signed by Mr Putin are meant only to block access to "unlawful content" and not target law-abiding web users, the head of the lower house of parliament said, according to the RIA news agency.
One feature of the second law is the provision to require internet operators to restrict users' access if they are found to be distributing illegal content.
Also at Engadget, ZDNet, RT, TechCrunch, and CNET.
Related: Apple Capitulates, Removes Unlicensed VPN Apps From China App Store
(Score: 4, Insightful) by vux984 on Monday July 31 2017, @10:33PM (2 children)
If you are in prison for sending the packets encrypted so they can't see what's in them, does it really matter they can't decrypt them and arrest you for the contents? Either way you are in prison.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by zocalo on Monday July 31 2017, @11:46PM
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 2) by AnonTechie on Tuesday August 01 2017, @08:21AM
How long before UK, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and the Gulf States (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar) start doing the same thing ??
Albert Einstein - "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."