Russia has blocked access to Meta-owned Facebook and restricted access to Twitter. Russians are using VPNs to try to bypass increasing internet controls.
On March 5, demand for VPNs surged more than 10 fold above the average, according to"As various companies have begun restricting access to their products in Russia, VPN apps have experienced a surge in adoption in the market as Russian users attempt to bypass these restrictions," a SensorTower spokesperson told CNBC via email.
"The installs of VPN apps will likely continue to climb as restrictions continue ramping up. At the moment, marketplaces such as Apple's App Store and Google Play are still available — however, that may very well change in the future." VPN company Surfshark said its weekly sales in Russia increased by 3,500% since Feb. 24, with the most significant spikes recorded on March 5 to March 6 when Facebook was blocked.
"Such a rapid surge means that people living in Russia are actively looking for ways to avoid government surveillance and censorship," a Surfshark spokesperson told CNBC., a service that encrypts internet traffic to help mask the identity of users and prevent surveillance on them. While Russia has moved to block services, a growing list technology companies have decided to suspend operations in the company.
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