In the summer of 2017, the Russian government passed a law to ban the use of VPN services in the country. The measure was taken to prevent Russian citizens from accessing blocked content. While the law doesn’t ban VPNs as such, it does state that getting access to banned content is prohibited. Considering that bypassing online restrictions is one of the main reasons why people use a VPN, the it can be said that effectively, the Russian government aims to stop people from using VPN services. It is widely known that like its US counterpart, the government in Russia has surveillance programs in place that threaten privacy. While officially, only those who are suspicious are monitored, and citizens who comply with the law have nothing to worry about, the truth is that it is likely that anyone can be a target.
Before the action was taken, many VPNs made the decision to remove their servers from Russia, in response to the privacy concerns in the country. Before we go through the list of the VPN services that are still working in Russia and that will allow you to get around the VPN restrictions implemented by the government of Vladimir Putin, we will discuss further the type of content that is subject to blocks in Russia. Topics like the annexation of Crimea by Russia, LGBT community, Bitcoin and political opposition are not permitted. In addition, the restrictions apply to content related to drugs, suicide and religious extremism. Popular websites such as Reddit, Twitch, Linkedin and apps like Telegram are also restricted. In order to get around these blocks, you can rely on a VPN, but not any VPN will do, you need to make sure that you choose one that really works.
Although internet users have to face multiple challenges when it comes to online freedom, the scale of restrictions doesn’t go as far as those implemented in China. This country is known for the heavy censorship that it applies to the internet. Several websites are blocked there, including big names like Facebook, Twitter and even Google. The Great Firewall of China as it is commonly known as, represents a series of measures that significantly affect online freedom. Since many people have used VPNs in order to bypass the restrictions, the Chinese government has targeted this technology and in recent months, it implemented legislation that bans VPNs, with the exception of those that have gone through an approval process. To be approved, VPNs have to accepts certain conditions that affect their performance and the privacy of their customers.
How can you get around the restrictions?
While the legislation essentially prohibits anonymizing technologies, there are some loopholes. Furthermore, there are VPN services that feature advanced technology that is designed to help you to bypass blocks. Here you will find a list of the VPN solutions that you can try. However, before you select a VPN and start using it to bypass the restrictions and access content that is not allowed, you need to keep in mind the implications of doing so. It can’ be denied that the rules go against online freedom, but the law is still the law so you should keep that in mind before deciding to break it. Just consider the risks and decide for yourself. If you decide to get around restrictions, here are the steps that you need to follow, and a list of recommended VPN services.
The first thing that you need to do is to sign up for a VPN service. If you are travelling to Russia, it is important that you download and install the client before you go. Most VPN services offer desktop software and mobile apps that work on the most popular platforms. You will find many VPN services in the market since this industry keeps on growing, but not all the options available are reliable. Make sure that you research about the VPN provider that you are considering. Below, you will find a list of VPNs that are known for their high quality, strong security and the advanced technology used to help you to bypass restrictions.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is consistently featured on the lists of the best VPN services in the industry. It offers the chance to connect to servers in over 90 countries and it uses a high level of encryption to protect your traffic. ExpressVPN also offers high quality software that is easy to use. You can stream and browse content freely and securely, known that your privacy is protected because ExpressVPN doesn’t keep logs of your online activities. In addition, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
PureVPN
PureVPN gets a lot of attention from people who are mainly concerned with bypassing geographical blocks. This is because this provider has servers in more than 190 countries. There are many options to choose from so you won’t have issues getting around blocks. That is not all, PureVPN also protects your internet traffic with high encryption. This will help you to prevent your ISP and eavesdroppers from seeing what you do online. NO logs of your online activities are kept.
NordVPN
NordVPN strives to offer a high level of protection for your privacy. They don’t keep any logs at all, which helps to enhance your privacy even further. NordVPN has a network of servers that cover over 60 countries and there are options that will help you download content securely. There are also advanced security features available such as Tor over VPN and double VPN.
VyprVPN
This is another great solution to defeat restrictions and online censorship. VyprVPN offers a unique technology called Chameleon, which can get around Deep Packet Inspection and Firewalls. VyprVPN doesn’t keep logs of your online activities and it has servers in over 70 global locations. Since VyprVPN owns and manages its network of servers, it can offer better speeds and more reliable performance than other providers.
