Experts have assessed the likelihood of introducing fines for VPN use

Penalties for the use of VPN services may be introduced, but for this it will be necessary to change the legal framework. This was reported on December 25 by Hi-Tech Mail with reference to experts.

It is noted that in 2024, a ban on the popularization of VPN was introduced for scientific information. Also Roskomnadzor plans to spend 59 billion rubles to strengthen the means of blocking. Telecom operators will then be obliged to provide data on users accessing blocked sites, while only network addresses of operators will be collected, not personal data of users.

According to experts interviewed, Russia may introduce fines for VPN use, similar to fines for traffic violations. Telecom operators will track VPN usage, transfer the data to the RCN, and users will receive fines, probably small but regular, which will actually become a fee for access to foreign resources.

"Technically it is possible, but with reservations. There are technologies for analyzing network traffic, such as DPI (Deep Packet Inspection), which can identify VPN usage by the nature of the traffic. However, accurate full-scale tracking of each user would require gigantic resources and prompts the population to think about privacy and rights issues," Yuri Gizatullin, founder of IT company TIQUM, commented on the likelihood.

He added that such measures are unlikely, because it is almost impossible to determine the illegal use of services.

Earlier, on October 24, 197 VPN services were blocked in Russia. The director of the Center for Monitoring and Management of the Public Communications Network (CMU SUCN) of Roskomnadzor Sergey Khutortsev said that experts are working with VPN services that violate Russian law as a means of circumventing blocking.