Russia’s ongoing effort to limit digital freedom escalated further in recent weeks, with the country’s internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, targeting over 200 VPN applications hosted on the Google Play Store. Between March 12 and April 1, the Russian government issued 214 separate takedown demands, affecting 212 individual VPN apps. These comprised over 90% of all app takedown requests directed at Google during that span.
Despite this pressure campaign, Google has largely refrained from complying. According to GreatFire data, Only six of the 212 flagged apps are no longer available on the Play Store, signaling a relatively strong stance against sweeping Russian censorship demands.
The surge of removal attempts began with 47 requests filed on March 12, which drew the attention of GreatFire, an organization focused on opposing digital censorship. Through its App Censorship Project, GreatFire analyzed 399 VPN apps, concluding that 87%, or 346 apps, remain accessible within Russia’s version of the Play Store. While this figure points to Google’s resistance, the removal of the remaining 13% represents a concerning concession to authoritarian pressure.
In total, 53 VPN apps from the sample set were found to be unavailable in Russia. Among the six apps no longer accessible from the list of 212 targeted, two had already vanished from the store in 2023, one disappeared in mid-2024, and the availability of the other three remains uncertain. Additionally, another six VPNs disappeared from the Play Store on a global scale. The causes and timing of those removals have not been clarified.
Beyond the specifically targeted apps, GreatFire also identified 47 VPNs that were unavailable without being named in the recent takedown efforts. Out of that group, 20 were already inaccessible at the start of 2024 or earlier.
The crackdown didn’t stop at mobile apps. Roskomnadzor also issued URL takedown orders to Google Search under Russia’s “VPN law.” The first such notice, dated March 10, demanded the removal of over 40,600 URLs. Just over two weeks later, a second directive listed more than 43,000 additional URLs for deletion. These lists were not limited to VPN-related content. According to GreatFire’s findings, the removals also targeted material discussing the war in Ukraine, social issues, poetry, and songs.
