The Russian Government's decision to block Facebook and Instagram has skyrocketed the use of VPNs in the country.
Instagram is blocked in Russia due to a decision by Meta -- its second parent -- to allow posting of violent speech for Russia. Meanwhile, Facebook had previously been blocked for discriminating against Russian media.
After Instagram was blocked, demand for a virtual private network (VPN) that serves to encrypt data shot up 2.088%, significantly higher than the average VPN usage during mid-February, according to data from Top10VPN.
Russia has previously been subjected to various sanctions from Western countries due to its invasion of Ukraine. They are also accused of obstructing the flow of information circulating, including tightening social media regulations in the country.
But before Instagram was blocked, the use of VPNs in Russia had actually increased. Especially after many sites in Russia and Ukraine fell victim to cyber attacks.
VPNs have actually been blocked in Russia since 2021. However, they failed to completely block VPNs, as many protested against the policy, which is seen as restricting internet freedom.
An analysis from Top10VPN found that there are 6000 sites blocked by Russia, of which 203 are news sites. There are also 97 crypto sites blocked in Russia.
The Russian government on Monday (14/3/2022) said that the number of cyberattacks against government IT systems and infrastructure had skyrocketed since February 24, when they began to invade Ukraine.