5 ms·

Just a recap how it happened in Russia: 1. First, year ~2015 legal framework was created under disguise of banning pirated media(specifically torrents.ru)(legi

by u8080 5mo ago

Just a recap how it happened in Russia: 1. First, year ~2015 legal framework was created under disguise of banning pirated media(specifically torrents.ru)(legislative push). State-wide DNS ban introduced. Very easy to circumvent via quering 8.8.8.8 2. Then, having legal basis, govt included extra stuff in banned list(casinos, terrorist orgs, etc)(executive push). IP bans introduced, applied very carefully. 3. Legal expanded allowing govt to ban specific media on very vague criterias(legislative push). IP blocks tried on some large websites. DPI hardware mandated to be installed by ISPs to filter by HTTPS SNI(executive push). 4. At ~2019 Roskomnadzor(RKN) created, special govt entity which enforces bans without court orders(legislative push). 5. ~2021 sites become banned if they are not filtering content by Russian laws by request of RKN(executive push). VPN services were obligated to also DPI-filter traffic(legislative push). 6. ~2023 Crackdown on VPN started(executive push). Popular commercial services were IP-banned, OpenVPN and IPSec connections selectively degraded by DPI. 7. ~2025 Heavy VPN filtering(vless, wireguard, etc) introduced(executive push). Performance of certain sites were degraded(youtube, twitter, etc).

spixy 5mo ago
DPI = Deep packet inspection?
- delamon 5mo ago
  yes
dvtkrlbs 5mo ago
Similar stuff is happening in Turkey as well. Afaik with ipv6 adoption goverment mandates DPI hardware at ISPs. It was voluntary for ipv4 traffic.
darqis 5mo ago
and yet my friend in Moscow is able to use VPN to get around all this
- jllyhill 5mo ago
  This is very up to chance. Sometimes the VPN works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it's fine on the home Internet, but fails on the cell data, sometimes it's otherwise. And it is fine if you're somewhat tech savvy and okay with tinkering with settings, but a huge pain for the older relatives.
  - villgax 5mo ago
    TURN servers is whats needed in those situations
- 0-_-0 5mo ago
  How about next year?
- sandmn 5mo ago
  It's cat and mouse game, VPN providers have to constantly update their protocol after being blocked by DPI.
- u8080 5mo ago
  Yes, indeed, it is still possible. Right now RKN introducing new DPI capabilities at TSPU(govt filtering hw/sw stack mandated at ISP) - proactive host probing/scanning and mandate for russian services to check and report VPN users hosts. I.e. you use e-shop app and it will report you Nehterlands VPS IP if detected, including split-tunneling tricks)
- khriss 5mo ago
  I'm sure you're able to drive faster than the speed limit as well. The issue isn't whether technical circumvention is in the realm of possibility. The base issue here is that even so called 'democratic' governments seem to be copying the authoritarian playbook when it comes to cracking down on privacy online.
- comonoid 5mo ago
  "If you are not in prison yet, it is not your merit, but our failure." -- attributed to Felix Dzerzhinsky. Upd: are they able to use VPN when the Internet is in so-called "white-list mode" where only certain websites are available?
d1sxeyes 5mo ago
I remember writing about Roskomnadzor well before 2019, it’s existed at least since 2013, and don’t think it was particularly new then.
- u8080 5mo ago
  I could miss some things from memory, but RKN originally had much less power back in the days, they were just trying to execute court orders - it started actually being self-sufficient censorship agency in ~2019
  - d1sxeyes 5mo ago
    Looks like you're talking about the new powers they got in 2018 https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B7%D0%BE%D1%80#%D0%94%D0%B5%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C:~:text=%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9%2023%20%D0%B0%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8F%202018 https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE... But proper curial oversight stopped with the Lugovoi law in 2013, after which RKN could block directly based on orders from the General Prosecutor's office.
comonoid 5mo ago
8. 2026 White-list mode is occasionally enforced.
- villgax 5mo ago
  dont give them ideas man, with LLMs & image/video creation models, I'm this close to not caring about pubic internet now for non-work/news/payments
  - u8080 5mo ago
    This is not idea, this is reality in 2026 (Tbf only for cellular internet)
    - comonoid 5mo ago
      True.
Saline9515 5mo ago
France is already at 5! The free world marches on.
googlehater 5mo ago
i noticed your profile has a lot of great info onthis. where did you learn?

by u8080 5mo ago

spixy 5mo ago

DPI = Deep packet inspection?

delamon 5mo ago
yes

dvtkrlbs 5mo ago

Similar stuff is happening in Turkey as well. Afaik with ipv6 adoption goverment mandates DPI hardware at ISPs. It was voluntary for ipv4 traffic.

darqis 5mo ago

and yet my friend in Moscow is able to use VPN to get around all this

jllyhill 5mo ago
This is very up to chance. Sometimes the VPN works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it's fine on the home Internet, but fails on the cell data, sometimes it's otherwise. And it is fine if you're somewhat tech savvy and okay with tinkering with settings, but a huge pain for the older relatives.
- villgax 5mo ago
  TURN servers is whats needed in those situations
0-_-0 5mo ago
How about next year?
sandmn 5mo ago
It's cat and mouse game, VPN providers have to constantly update their protocol after being blocked by DPI.
u8080 5mo ago
Yes, indeed, it is still possible. Right now RKN introducing new DPI capabilities at TSPU(govt filtering hw/sw stack mandated at ISP) - proactive host probing/scanning and mandate for russian services to check and report VPN users hosts. I.e. you use e-shop app and it will report you Nehterlands VPS IP if detected, including split-tunneling tricks)
khriss 5mo ago
I'm sure you're able to drive faster than the speed limit as well. The issue isn't whether technical circumvention is in the realm of possibility. The base issue here is that even so called 'democratic' governments seem to be copying the authoritarian playbook when it comes to cracking down on privacy online.
comonoid 5mo ago
"If you are not in prison yet, it is not your merit, but our failure." -- attributed to Felix Dzerzhinsky. Upd: are they able to use VPN when the Internet is in so-called "white-list mode" where only certain websites are available?

d1sxeyes 5mo ago

I remember writing about Roskomnadzor well before 2019, it’s existed at least since 2013, and don’t think it was particularly new then.

u8080 5mo ago
I could miss some things from memory, but RKN originally had much less power back in the days, they were just trying to execute court orders - it started actually being self-sufficient censorship agency in ~2019
- d1sxeyes 5mo ago
  Looks like you're talking about the new powers they got in 2018 https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B7%D0%BE%D1%80#%D0%94%D0%B5%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C:~:text=%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9%2023%20%D0%B0%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8F%202018 https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE... But proper curial oversight stopped with the Lugovoi law in 2013, after which RKN could block directly based on orders from the General Prosecutor's office.

comonoid 5mo ago

8. 2026 White-list mode is occasionally enforced.

villgax 5mo ago
dont give them ideas man, with LLMs & image/video creation models, I'm this close to not caring about pubic internet now for non-work/news/payments
- u8080 5mo ago
  This is not idea, this is reality in 2026 (Tbf only for cellular internet)
  - comonoid 5mo ago
    True.

Saline9515 5mo ago

France is already at 5! The free world marches on.

googlehater 5mo ago

i noticed your profile has a lot of great info onthis. where did you learn?