Russia Has Banned VPNs
from the who-needs-privacy-anyway dept
We've noted for some time that Russia has been engaged in a slow but steady assault on privacy tools like VPNs. As with most countries that have an adversarial relationship with the truth, the entire effort has been couched as necessary to protect national security and cultural morality, though the real agenda is to help prop up the country's domestic surveillance efforts and Putin's ham-fisted internet filters. This push accelerated with a new surveillance bill last year that not only mandated new encryption backdoors, but also imposed harsh new data-retention requirements on ISPs and VPN providers.
But that was only the opening salvo in Russia's assault on citizen privacy. The country has since accelerated efforts to ban anonymity on messaging apps, while simultaneously pushing new legislation that would make operating as a VPN provider in Russia all but impossible. The legislation, which would require that ISPs ban the use of VPNs sailed through the Russian Parliament:
The State Duma on Friday unanimously passed a bill that would oblige Internet providers to block websites that offer VPN services. Many Russians use VPNs to access blocked content by routing connections through servers outside the country. The lawmakers behind the bill argued that the move could help to enforce Russia's ban on disseminating extremist content online. The bill has to be approved at the upper chamber of parliament and signed by the president before it comes into effect.
Over the weekend, Putin signed the bill into law, and that story notes this bizarre "explanation" of the bill:
Leonid Levin, the head of Duma's information policy committee, has said the law is not intended to impose restrictions on law-abiding citizens but is meant only to block access to "unlawful content," RIA news agency said.
Needless to say, this wasn't received particularly well by Russian citizens that enjoy having something vaguely-resembling privacy, with 1,000 or so protesting in Moscow last weekend over the looming law:
Pavel Rassudov, 34, the former head of the Pirate Party campaign group, said at the march that "restrictions on the internet began in 2011," as the opposition to Putin held mass rallies in Moscow. "The authorities realised the Internet was a tool for mobilisation, that it brings people out onto the streets," Rassudov said. Another marcher, Lyudmila Toporova, 56, said she came to the rally because "Freedom is the most important thing in life. That's why I'm here."
Of course the end result of this kind of ridiculous policy is that encryption itself is undermined, and everybody winds up less secure. And while you'd like to think this sort of thing wouldn't happen here in the States, if you've watched the endless efforts to undermine encryption and demonize VPNs, the last five years or so, we're probably only a domestic terrorist attack or two away from voters being scared into supporting similar idiotic policy for the "safety and security" of the republic.
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Filed Under: bans, dumas, encryption, privacy, russia, security, vladimir putin, vpns
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Russia is a modern feud where the peasants pay for the privilege of being there while receiving very little, if anything in return. Same as here and I'd guess others living in other parts agree as well.
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Headline typo?
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For Putin, also substitute US or UK as applicable... especially the UK
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Response to: Not an Electronic Rodent on Jul 31st, 2017 @ 6:39am
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Re: Response to: Not an Electronic Rodent on Jul 31st, 2017 @ 6:39am
This is true. An "adversarial relationship with the truth" seems to be increasingly de rigueur for most governments, whether nominally democratic or not. Certainly, "because terrorism" and "for the children" are familiar enough excuses, with the US largely being master of the former with the UK slightly edging them out on the latter without having to cope with that pesky First Amendment thing. Putin? Pah! Mere amateur!
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Silly ruskies
However, the backlash of that effort would be interesting to see. I bet a manly man like Putin is not really that brave.
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Re: Silly ruskies
Also, this is going to hurt their economy. I mean really hurt.
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Re:
- Sent from my TOR browser
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sucks to be RUssian
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Re:
Faster transport, the telegraph and telephone just enabled individuals to talk to each other, and while they sped up the conversations a bit, they did not change how information and ideas spread through wider society.
The Internet on the other hand allows all form of many to many communication, including posting questions and calls for aid without knowing if, or who will answer those calls. This directly undermines the bureaucracies, including governments, that were built to basically route messages between parties that did not know each other. This makes it a direct threat to big business and big government, as it bypasses those whose power is based on controlling choke points in communication systems. The Internet definitely benefits those who base their business on conversation and co-operation, while bypassing those choke points.
Obviously those whose power is threatened are fighting the very openness of the Internet, because unless they gain control over the Internet, the whole basis of their power, controlling communications flows, will be yanked from under their feet. I just hope they do not cause the wars and sufferings that the Church and Aristocracy did trying to fight new ideas, and new ways for society to function that greatly reduced their power.
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Whacka Mole
Well what's to stop someone renting a VPS in the US and setting up a VPN on it?
I'm sure they may try blocking ports and deep packet inspection, but again that can also be routed around.
Seems like the Russians will be spending most of their time playing Whack-a-Mole for now.
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Why do they not say anything about https?
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Re: Why do they not say anything about https?
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Businesses?
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Re: Businesses?
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Re: Businesses?
It's also possible that the law won't be directly enforced outside of consumer channels, but this provides an additional charge to lock people away with if they're suspected of any other dissident behaviour. So, authorities might decided to turn a blind eye to business use, but then enforce the rules against VPNs if they decided they need to shut the business down.
The above is a guess based on my knowledge, which is limited regarding Russia, so anyone who has different information is welcome to correct me.
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"everybody winds up less secure"?
I'm sure there are exemptions for those running the show. It's everyone else that "winds up less secure".
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It wouldn't even take that much. All Trump has to do is say that VPNs are bad and need to be blocked and his followers will be foaming at the mouth ready to burn them all to the ground.
As it is, Trump is now openly threatening senators' health insurance as well as the ACA to try and get his way. In other words, we now have a president who thinks blatant blackmail is an acceptable leadership tactic. You would think this would provoke outrage, but if you read the comments on any news story or video covering this, the majority of people are cheering him on!
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His likely successor knows better -- and will apply his assorted pressures much more discretely.
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> an acceptable leadership tactic
Oh, please. All of politics is blackmail of one sort or another. That's why politicians have the reputation that they do.
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Odd
it's not about copyright or anything like that, it's all about government control and the simple fact that Russia is not a democracy and the people aren't truly free. What the Russian government fears the most isn't pirated software, but rather people thinking they can operate outside of their control.
Dictatorships (even "elected" ones) need to be in control to remain in power. They cannot allow an opposition to build up and perhaps threaten them. An internet completely hidden by VPN, which would allow subversives to meet and build up a resistance without the government knowing, is not acceptable.
It's not about entertainment. It's about controlling a country in perpetuating power.
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Re: Odd
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Re: Odd
So it's all about control, huh? No wonder people think the copyright industry has a hand in it.
Control and power. Yep, sure sounds like the copyright industry.
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Re: Odd
The entertainment industry might not be directly complicit, but their constant failure to provide for the market as it exists in the 21st century has given oppressive government more excuses to push this kind of legislation through without popular opposition. They might not be completely responsible, but they do deserve criticism.
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You know, things like viewing porn, interfering with elections, viewing more porn.
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Yeah, here too.
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come over here
You use a computer ?
Look here I've got NPV to show ya
wink wink
totally legal ya know
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