Russia Crackdown on Bypassing Online Censorship

Click to expand Image A person checks their phone in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, March 31, 2026. © 2026 Pavel Bednyakov/AP Photo (Berlin, September 24, 2026) – Russian authorities are doubling down on their efforts to quash freedom of expression, including access to information, by increasingly suppressing tools to circumvent draconian censorship laws, Human Rights Watch said today. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) services face intensifying blocking and takedowns from app stores. “The Russ