Russia and China are banning the use of virtual private networks, as their governments assert ever greater control over what citizens can see online.
In Russia, the State Duma – the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia (legislature) – unanimously adopted the first reading of new legislation that would ban the use of VPNs as well as online anonymizers like the Tor browser if they don’t block access to a government-run list of websites.
Meanwhile, China has started enforcing its rules, approved in January, that do pretty much the same thing.
Details are available in an article by Kieren McCarthy in The Register at: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/11/russia_china_vpns_tor_browser/.
Similar suggestions have been made by other repressive governments, including the USA (see https://privacyblog.com/2017/02/28/new-fcc-chairman-plans-to-block-privacy-regulations/ and https://privacyblog.com/2017/02/21/congress-contemplates-making-it-illegal-to-protect-consumer-privacy-online/ and https://privacyblog.com/2016/04/18/senate-anti-encryption-bill-is-itself-a-threat-to-national-security/ and https://privacyblog.com/2016/01/22/a-senior-homeland-security-official-says-internet-anonymity-should-be-outlawed/) and the United Kingdom (see https://privacyblog.com/2016/12/03/encryption-backdoor-sneaks-into-uk-law/ and https://privacyblog.com/2016/11/23/update-britain-has-passed-the-most-extreme-surveillance-law-ever-passed-in-a-democracy/).
- The Fight for Net Neutrality Is a Fight for Freedom of Speech and Democracy
- 5 Reasons You Need to Stop Using Free VPNs Right Now
Categories: VPN (Virtual Private Networking)
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