JAKARTA - The Russian government's efforts to limit the use of VPNs have led to unexpected side effects. Instead of just suppressing alternative internet access, the move is reported to have triggered widespread disruption in the digital banking sector, even making cash transactions the only payment option in some areas.
The claim was made by Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, via a post on the Telegram platform on Saturday, April 4. In his statement, Durov said that the blocking efforts carried out by the Russian authorities against VPNs "have just triggered a major failure in the banking system; cash was the only payment method in the entire country yesterday."
This restriction is part of a broader policy to control the domestic digital space. Russia's Minister of Digital Affairs, Maksut Shadayev, previously announced plans to "reduce VPN usage" as part of the government's strategy in what some observers have called the latest wave of internet tightening.
VPN itself is a technology that allows users to access blocked services by rerouting internet traffic through servers abroad. In the context of Russia, the use of VPNs has increased along with restrictions on various global platforms.
However, reports from media and analysts cited by Bloomberg indicate that the disruption to the banking app occurred in conjunction with the restriction efforts. A number of reports say that the bank app is disrupted due to "overload in the filtering systems" run by Russian communications authorities. Experts warn that massive restrictions risk disrupting the overall stability of the network.
This "wrong target" phenomenon is not the first time it has occurred. In recent years, Russian government interventions against internet infrastructure have often triggered unintended chain effects. Digital services are suddenly paralyzed, from online payments to smart home devices, when network filtering systems work too aggressively.
Durov also assessed the government's efforts to suppress the use of Telegram have not been successful. He claims that to date, around 50 million Russian citizens still use the application every day, mostly with the help of VPNs.
Previously, in 2018, the Russian government had tried to block Telegram with the aim of gaining behind-the-scenes access to user messages. However, the attempt failed, because Telegram's encryption system made it impossible to gain access without direct control over the user's device. As a result, internet users in Russia experienced widespread disruption to various digital services, while Telegram only lost about 3 percent of its user base.
This latest policy reaffirms the classic dilemma: the tighter the control over the internet, the greater the risk of damage to the system that supports the digital economy itself.
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