Unlike most European and Western countries, Russia is a deeply controlled state with strict laws and policies on freedom of speech, immigration, and Internet and media use.
If you are currently planning a business trip or vacation holiday to enjoy skiing in some of the world’s bests resorts, it would be best that you strictly adhere to the laws there. Otherwise, you might find yourself in big trouble, especially if you are not careful with what you share on the Internet.
Like China, Russia has a highly censored internet, meaning that the government is in control of what its population consumes on the Internet.
This was after Russia passed a “sovereign internet” law that stood to tighten the control of web traffic in the country; they called it an aggressive U.S. cybersecurity strategy.
Late this year, Russia’s ruling party legislator presented a bill to block U.S major social media platforms in Russia, i.e., Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. This means that people might not have access to such popular social media in Russia.
However, you do not have to worry about that anymore, for this post will furnish you with tips on how to access your social media accounts and make your stay in Russia much more exciting.
So, let’s get down to business!
How to access blocked YouTube, Facebook in Russia?
After the bill was tabled, Russia’s opposition leader Alexei Navalny ironically suggested through a Twitter post,
“Excellent. Let them pass it as soon as possible, the whole country will finally start using VPN.”
He already had a solution lined up for Russians and their visitors. Using VPNs is the ultimate solution to access blocked YouTube, Facebook sites in Russia.
Through VPN clients, social media users can easily access “geo-blocked” sites, in this case, YouTube and Facebook. The VPN client provides you with a virtual IP address that allows you to access your Facebook or Twitter account from a different location server while still in Russia.
Learn more about VPN in the FAQ section of our blog
What websites will be blocked in Russia?
For a long time, Russian authorities have not been great fans of the dominating U.S social media platforms. Young people and millennials in Russian are big fans of these social media platforms, and with being a heavily controlled state, the Russian government has finally found a way to shut them down.
Following continued complaints of the U.S social media” censoring” contents from the state-affiliated press, the Russian government, through its ruling party legislators, have tabled a bill to allow the Foreign Ministry and Prosecutor General’s Office to identify platforms restricting Russians’ right to access contents. The bill also empowers the federal media watchdog (Roskomnadzor) to partially or fully block such platforms.
In particular, the draft identifies YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter platforms as their primary priority after they “censored” and labeled- state-affiliated media outlets, including RIA Novosti and Crimea. The paper argues that the 3 leading social media platforms have unjustly violated and restricted Russians from accessing information from Russian media.
Currently, Moscow receives levies from Facebook and Twitter after they failed to comply with a 2015 social media law that required social media companies to store Russian’ user’s data on Russian servers.
The social media platform ban comes after LinkedIn was blocked in Russia for violating that law in 2016. However, the bill will require approval from both houses being accented to law by Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin.
How do I unblock Social Media in Russia?
Since the early 2000s, Russia has been strict on regulating internet contents, resulting in massive blocking of websites.
With the rooming news, “Russia blocks YouTube” and other main U.S social media platforms, you might be wondering, Is that the end of worldwide social interaction? Is it still possible to access my Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube channel while in Russia? Well, the answer to these is NO and Yes, respectively.
The blocking of social media platforms does not mean that your online social life is doomed; there is still a way out. To continue enjoying US social media platforms, Russian and any other persons visiting Russia will have to use VPNs to unblock and access social media in Russia. So, how does a VPN work, or rather how does it help you unblock social media platforms.
Typically, Virtual Private Network (VPN) is designed to encrypt your internet traffic so that hackers and government surveillance systems cannot monitor your activity and hence assure you of your data safety. Also, VPN clients provide you with a virtual IP address, a different one from that of your devices, that allows you to access social media accounts from uncensored internet countries/locations while still in Russia. For instance, you can bypass Russia’s restrictions by choosing an IP address in the US, where they have unrestricted access to social media sites.
All you need is access to a credible and reliable VPN client that will help you bypass the geo-restriction. Let’s have a look at the top reliable VPNs you can use while in Russia.
Top VPN providers for Russia
There are lots of VPN clients in the market today. Choosing the best VPN during your stay in Russia can be hectic. We have done the job for you! Here are the top recommended VPN providers for Russia.
ExpressVPN
It is our top choice for Russia VPN. The client has over 3000 servers in more than 94 countries in the world. ExpressVPN prides itself on its speedy and stable internet connections. The VPN uses a 256 -bit AES-CBC data encryption, making it difficult for hackers and Russian surveillance to monitor your internet activities. It comes with a kill switch to prevent DNS leakages and does not store any user logs, meaning that your activities are untraceable.
Surfshark VPN
The Surfshark VPN client possesses exceptional social media and geo-restricted websites unblocking abilities. This VPN ensures fast internet connections, and so you do not have to worry about site buffering. Still, this service provides for unlimited simultaneous device connection meaning that you can use it with friends and family in Russia. Like most VPNs, Surfshark VPN comes with a kill switch feature that protects you from DNS, IPv6 leaks, and WebRTC. The client does not store any personal logs. Payments are also made in cryptocurrency for additional privacy.
NordVPN
It is a world-class VPN that has dominated the market for over a decade now. NordVPN has a collection of top features such as ultra-secure privacy and anti-DDoS. It provides for military-grade data encryption that keeps your web traffic off the Russian surveillance system and away from hackers.
It has an extensive server network, over 5000 servers in more than 60 countries across the world, meaning that you have a large pool of virtual IPs to choose from. It has blistering speeds and a perfect choice to bypass geo-restricted sites such as U.S social media platforms in Russia.
Cyberghost VPN
The Cyberghost VPN is a darling VPN for hackers, especially the notorious Russian hackers. The VPN is user friendly and is effective at unblocking highly censored contents on the Internet. It uses a 256-bit AES encryption and has a malware blocker meant to keep your web traffic and computer from malware attacks.
The VPN has a no-log policy and a maximum simultaneous usage of 7 devices, making it a favorite for persons traveling with their family or friends. Cyberghost VPN has over 6,830 servers in 90 countries and one in Russia, which means you have to use the others for social media unblocking purposes.
HMA VPN
HMA VPN is an excellent and one of the biggest VPN services globally, with more than 1050 servers in over 210 countries and 290+ locations to choose from. This VPN client keeps zero logs on its users, making it a perfect choice for anyone willing to surf the Internet anonymously.
It has fast blazing servers, an Open VPN protocol, an IP shuffle feature, and a kill switch that automatically blocks the Internet once you lose a VPN connection. The VPN also works to unblock geo-restricted sites such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter in Russia.
FAQ’s About the Internet in Russia
Is there a Russian version of YouTube?
There is only one YouTube in Russia, the YouTube platform from the US. However, Russia has a media streaming site called “RuTube,” and it is widely considered “The YouTube of Russia.” RuTube is the 38th most popular site in Russia and is a subsidiary of Russian media giant Gazprom Media.
Is the Internet blocked in Russia?
No, the Internet is not blocked in Russia. However, the Internet is “censored,” meaning that the government controls what the Russian population consumes and shares on the Internet. For instance, the Russian government has blocked Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. They have also blocked LGBT sites due to the fact that same-sex marriage is illegal in Russia.
