Russia to double internet censorship budget in 2027, plotting new VPN traffic fee
Russia is doubling down on its VPN crackdown. With a 60 billion ruble budget for internet censorship over the next three years and a proposed fee on international traffic, the Kremlin is intensifying efforts to restrict access to the global web.
In a significant escalation of internet censorship, Russia plans to double its budget for blocking VPN traffic in 2027, according to recent budget drafts revealed by independent Russian media. The government has earmarked nearly 20 billion rubles, or approximately $235 million, for its automated internet filtering system, which will bring total censorship spending to an unprecedented 60 billion rubles over the next three years.
This comes after a recent wave of disruptions saw Russia intensify VPN blocks following the State Duma elections. The automated system controlling specialized hardware, known as TSPU, is legally required to be installed by Internet Service Providers and filters network traffic to block unauthorized websites and VPN protocols. The Kremlin's war on VPNs has left Russian internet users facing a deteriorating VPN experience, with over 250 VPN services already blocked.
Authorities are exploring financial deterrents, such as charging users a fee for using more than 50GB of international traffic on 5G networks, and a new legislative package aims to penalize domestic VPN hosting providers by banning them from offering services to individuals who host VPNs or proxies, if those services are listed on a Roskomnadzor registry.
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