Millions of Russians now use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) following President Putin’s nationwide ban on external websites and social media platforms. Since the Ukraine invasion by the Russian military forces, the Russian President Vladimir Putin restricted access to over 1,000+ sites. As a result, the number of people looking for a VPN for Russia has exploded. This was explained by a report released on May 6.
- Following Russia's ban on social media platforms and websites, Russians seek VPNs as their alternative to outside information.
- Consequently, VPN search queries on Google trends, installations on mobile app marketplaces, and VPN usages skyrocketed.
- Amid all these, Russia still hasn't been able to take any concrete action against VPNs within the country.