Roskomnadzor denied reports about possible fines for VPN use in Russia

There are no plans to introduce fines for the use of VPN services in Russia. This was reported to Izvestia by Roskomnadzor on December 26.

Earlier in the day, the media reported on the possible strengthening of measures to restrict the use of VPNs, including the likely introduction of fines, if a new order of Roskomnadzor comes into force. It is assumed that as a result of the changes, operators will be obliged to hand over data on network addresses to the agency.

"There is a gross mistake in such assumptions. The order does not and cannot introduce fines. The specified draft order of Roskomnadzor does not affect the use of VPN-services", - emphasized in the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Communications.

First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications Alexander Yushchenko said on December 26 that the issue of introducing fines for the use of VPN services is not discussed in the State Duma. He also clarified that there is currently a lot of speculation and conjecture on the subject of digital platforms. In his opinion, the establishment of fines is technically difficult to implement.

Before that, on October 24, Sergey Khutortsev, director of the Center for Monitoring and Management of the Public Communications Network (CMU SUCN) of Roskomnadzor, said at the Spectrum forum that 197 VPN services were blocked in Russia. He reminded that specialists work with services that violate the legislation of the Russian Federation as a means of circumventing blocking.