- Статьи
- Internet and technology
- Hand-to-hand: marketplaces have begun to struggle with blocking circumvention programs
Hand-to-hand: marketplaces have begun to struggle with blocking circumvention programs
Users from Russia began to encounter problems when working with large marketplaces: sites either slow down, or do not load product cards, or stop opening altogether, depending on the chosen site and the software used, Izvestia was convinced. We are not talking about isolated failures, but about a systemic change in the behavior of services. According to retail sources, the sites have begun to implement tougher anti-blocking mechanisms. Previously, such services were limited to warnings about "incorrect operation when using a VPN," but now they actually deprive users of the opportunity not only to make purchases, but even to browse the assortment.
Marketplaces are tightening up filtering
The largest market players — Wildberries, Ozon and VkusVill — are unstable when connected via a number of popular VPN services, Izvestia found out. At the same time, without using them, sites continue to open correctly even outside of Russia. Access to the pages remains, but product cards, images, and descriptions are not loaded. Formally, it is possible to log in to the site, but full—fledged use - from exploring the assortment to making a purchase — is difficult. Editorial sources in the market confirm that we may be talking about targeted traffic filtering.
— The consequences are systemic and can affect almost the entire business. Already, companies are forced to adapt in advance to a possible tightening of regulation. We are not talking about point—to—point improvements, but about rebuilding the infrastructure - with channel redundancy, additional filtering levels and new user identification mechanisms," said one of the interlocutors of Izvestia.
According to him, businesses incur additional costs unrelated to product development: resources are spent on reducing regulatory risks and ensuring the sustainability of services "in conditions of uncertainty."
Experts warn that the effect of such measures may go beyond e-commerce.
— Restrictions may affect several key industries at once. In the financial sector, these are the risks of disruptions during operations, in e-commerce, a decrease in the availability of goods to users abroad and potential problems with cross—border supplies. As a result, the market may face additional pressure, from logistics to demand," the industry representative said.
A separate risk remains the deterioration of the user experience: if part of the audience cannot even view the products, this will inevitably affect the conversion and turnover of the sites.
At the same time, it is technically difficult to completely block the use of a VPN, another source notes.
— We are talking about a point limitation of the most popular services and their free versions. Moreover, their number has already decreased. Complete blocking is unprofitable for the sites themselves," he explained.
Izvestia sent inquiries to all the mentioned companies.
A chain reaction for the market
Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, attributes what is happening to the regulator's initiatives.
"Most modern services for circumventing restrictions allow you to make exceptions for specific sites, the so—called tunneling," he said.
Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily, noted that the current situation is a transitional one.
— So far, "loopholes" remain, and users can adapt. But if the requirements get tougher, the scenario could change quickly. As has already been the case with other technological limitations: first, temporary solutions appear, and then the market looks for a long—term balance," he said.
IT expert Igor Baranov believes that users will have to switch between modes more often.
"If this turns out to be insufficient, new requirements may appear directly for the sites," he clarified.
According to experts, taking a public position in such a situation is risky for businesses.
— Any statement can cause negativity on the part of users who are already tired of restrictions. Therefore, companies prefer to act as quietly as possible, without making changes to the public domain," Igor Baranov explained.
For marketplaces, VPNs are a zone of increased risks associated with anonymity of traffic, fraud and circumvention of restrictions, so sites naturally tighten control, says Mikhail Shurygin, chairman of the ROCIT Commission on cloud technologies and information security. At the same time, he does not predict a significant impact on users: there will be no mass effect, and thanks to the settings inside the software, many will be able to continue using the services without restrictions.
"This is not a tightening of the screws, but a normal practice for services where there is money and risks. Marketplaces are moving towards a fintech model — less anonymity, more control. This will create only minimal inconvenience for users.: A VPN can either be disabled or exceptions can be configured once," he said.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
