They want to prevent hosting providers from providing their computing power to owners of websites and information systems that provide access to information blocked in the Russian Federation.
As Kommersant learned, the corresponding amendments aimed at combating VPNs are included in the second package of measures against fraudsters, which the government submitted to the State Duma in December 2025. The punishment that will be imposed for violating the ban was not indicated in the latest version of the bill, which the publication reviewed.
For the hosts, industry representatives explained to the newspaper that this potential innovation would mean moving from “technical intermediary” to “observer” mode. If previously the host could ignore what was happening “inside” the server until receiving a complaint, Kommersant wrote, then if the amendments are adopted, it will be obliged to block the possibility of providing the ability to violators.
The Ministry of Digital Development stated, in response to a request from the publication, that the amendments to the second reading are still “under coordination with interested departments and organizations.” There is no final version of the document yet.
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In 2026, Russian authorities began an active fight against VPNs against the backdrop of Telegram blocking and restrictions on mobile Internet in many regions of the country. At the end of March, the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Maksut Shadayev, said that his ministry was tasked with limiting the use of VPNs in Russia. In April, the largest Russian services, including Marketplaces and Gosuslugi, began restricting access to users from Russia who have a VPN enabled.