Kommersant reports Russia seeks to ban hosting providers from supplying computing capacity to VPN operators

Russian authorities are seeking to ban hosting providers from supplying their computing capacity to website and information system operators that provide access to content blocked in Russia.

The amendments, aimed at combating VPNs, are being added to a second package of anti-fraud measures that the government submitted to the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, in December 2025, the Russian business daily Kommersant reported. The latest version of the bill reviewed by the outlet does not specify what penalties would apply for violating the ban.

For hosting providers, the potential change would mean a shift from the status of “technical intermediary” to that of “controller,” industry representatives told the paper. Previously, a hosting provider could ignore what was happening “inside” a server until a complaint was received, Kommersant wrote; if the amendments are adopted, providers would be required to prevent the very possibility of supplying capacity to violators.

The amendments for the second reading are still being coordinated with relevant agencies and organizations, and no final version of the document exists yet, the Digital Development Ministry stated in response to the outlet’s inquiry.

Russian authorities launched an active crackdown on VPNs in 2026, against the backdrop of Telegram being blocked and mobile internet being restricted across many regions of the country. In late March, Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadaev said his ministry had been tasked with reducing VPN use in Russia. In April, major Russian services — including online marketplaces and the Gosuslugi government portal — began restricting access for users in Russia who had a VPN enabled.