Russia’s reputation for suppressing internet freedom and free expression is well documented. VPNs have long had a contentious relationship with the Russian state, and in recent years they have been permitted only if they are approved by the government. Earlier this year, the Russian government went a step further, turning the screw on internet freedom by making it illegal to provide public instructions for setting up a VPN.
At the time, it was clear that this escalation would mark a steady and insidious move towards total online censorship, with the end goal of dismantling the very frameworks that support the existence of VPNs and their continued development.
And then last week, the Kremlin’s internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, went even further. In a striking move, Apple – the $3.6 trillion market cap tech giant – has removed 25 VPN services from the Russian App Store at Roskomnadzor’s request. Our app, hide.me, is one of them.
There are two key issues here that are deeply worrying and pose a grave threat to internet freedom.
Firstly, when state bodies force private companies to remove or change their services or products, it’s a serious problem. This is true in repressive regimes and liberal democracies alike. You might argue, “Apple Inc. is a multi-trillion-dollar company with immense power, surely it can handle some government pressure?”
However, the Russian VPN ban illustrates why this argument is fundamentally flawed and even dangerous. Most would agree that Roskomnadzor pressuring Apple to remove 25 VPNs from the App Store is bad. It’s the people – us, you, those advocating for a freer world – who suffer. Limiting the power of a tech giant like Apple only strengthens the state’s hand.
In this case, hostility to internet freedom looks like an obviously authoritarian state coercing a private company into restricting its citizens’ internet access. It’s easy to see Russia’s actions as wrong and harmful. But remember, whenever any government – whether ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – tries to control the tech we access, there are significant risks.
What’s particularly frustrating about this case is that many of these VPNs are developed by people who understand Russia’s censorship machine intimately, designing their products to bypass state restrictions. The fact that Apple felt enough pressure to ban these apps outright, something the Russian authorities haven’t always achieved effectively themselves, is deeply disappointing.
This brings me to the second, bigger issue: the state of internet freedom.
It is terrifying that free and uninhibited internet access can be so easily taken away from individuals in authoritarian regimes. Governments that control what citizens can see and access feed the oppression machine. At hide.me, one of our core principles is universal access to a free and open internet. We believe fiercely in the power of information to break free from oppression, and we believe in VPNs as a vehicle for accessing this information, protecting user privacy, and freeing communities from state-controlled narratives. A free world needs access to a free and open internet.
So, what can be done?
Sadly, hostility to VPNs isn’t new for Russia, and hide.me won’t be the last VPN to face the wrath of Russia’s internet regulators.
But if Apple wants to be bold, to stand for internet freedom and the rights of users everywhere – not just in America or the Western world – then it should take a page from Mozilla Firefox’s book. Just last month, several of Mozilla’s browser extensions were suddenly made unavailable in Russia at Roskomnadzor’s request. Mozilla initially complied, considering regulatory implications and the safety of their staff and community, but then they did something remarkable: they reinstated the extensions.
This bold move should be championed. Internet freedom won’t die overnight; if we lose it, it’ll be because we stood by and watched as it was gradually chipped away. And while it’s true that individuals will always find ways to push back against state control, it’s a dark day when the tools to do so are taken away. This demonstrates a clear intent from these states to control the flow of information completely.
All of us who care about internet freedom – tech giants included – must push back against oppressive regulators and make a stand for freedom of expression and access to a free internet. Companies like Apple ultimately have the power and responsibility to resist these state pressures and set a precedent for defending digital rights. The stakes are high, and the cost of inaction is the erosion of our fundamental freedoms.
What’s next? Well, it’ll be interesting to watch how Apple plays its cards now. Will they capitulate to authoritarian demands, or will they champion the cause of internet freedom?
The world is watching, and the future of a free and open internet hangs in the balance.
About the Author
Sebastian Schaub is the CEO and founder of hide.me VPN and he has been working in the internet security industry for over a decade. He started hide.me VPN to make internet security and privacy accessible to everybody.
Source: www.cyberdefensemagazine.com