Top 5 Websites Blocked in Russia

Countries Mar 15, 2021

The Russian Internet is not a friendly environment at all. In Russia, they like to block websites and do it regularly. According to the registry of banned websites provided by the Roskomsvoboda organization, there are at least 384,000 such sites on the country's blacklist nowadays. In this article, we will tell you about the sites, the blocking of which has seriously affected people's comfort. Some blockages are caused by a banal imperfection or lack of a legislative framework, but citizens still have a hard time.

Online casinos and gambling
The fight against gambling in Russia has been going on since 2014. At first, the blocking process was relatively slow, but in a few months, changes in the laws made blocking such game-oriented resources without a trial possible. That is, very quickly. In general, online gambling is prohibited in the country. An example of such a banned platform is Spin Casino.

Binance cryptocurrency exchange
Binance is the largest cryptocurrency exchange that was founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao. The platform supports many additional features such as staking and cryptocurrency loans, which goes beyond the usual understanding of what an exchange is.

In general, it operates openly and legally, and citizens can even purchase digital assets for national currency using bank cards. Despite this, on September 24, 2020, representatives of the platform received a notification from Roskomnadzor, which reported that the site was added to the register of banned domain names. The reason was the information on the site on methods of acquiring Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The exchange continued to provide services to clients in full. And although Binance is not currently in the register of banned websites, some users still experience problems when arranging a cryptocurrency trading session: the site simply does not open.

Bestchange platform
Bestchange is an aggregator of exchangers that allows you to exchange electronic money. The platform is essentially a collection of other sites that work with cryptocurrencies, and it has a great reputation. However, this also did not become a reason for softening the attitude towards it.

In May 2019, the first blocking of the resource followed on the initiative of Roskomnadzor. It was canceled after a week and a half, but in August 2020, the platform was blacklisted again. The reason for this was also the information about the purchase of bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies. According to the representatives of Roskomnadzor, Bitcoin is a means of payment prohibited on Russian territory.

Note that Bestchange's management recommended that users use the official mirror of the resource or all possible means of bypassing the blocking. Remember that one of them is using VPN services.

A social network site LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a world-renowned social network for finding new employees and establishing business connections. Users use LinkedIn to expand the number of their acquaintances, which often end up with new job offers and getting a raise.

And although the platform is not related to bitcoins and other things the authorities do not like, it is blocked in Russia as well. The reason for the corresponding decision made in the second half of 2016 was the processing of Russians' data without the consent of users. Also, all information was stored outside the territory of Russia, which provoked the conflict.

ProtonMail encrypted mail service
ProtonMail is an email service with support for encryption and other security measures that sets it apart from popular competitors. The blocking was also initiated by Roskomnadzor. The reason for adding the service to the blacklist was the distribution of anonymous letters, which reported on mine laying in various points in Russia.

Since it was not possible to trace the letters' authors, the agency decided to fight their tool. As representatives of Roskomnadzor later reported, the site's management did not agree to provide the agency's employees with the information necessary to add the platform to the register of information dissemination organizers.

Conclusion
Russian citizens are not allowed to be at the forefront of world Internet progress. While citizens of other countries share experience and establish business connections on LinkedIn and maintain their right to privacy with the benefits of ProtonMail, these services are not available to Russians by default.

Fortunately, most of the restrictions can be bypassed through the use of VPN services. Also, users can use mirrors – that is, exact copies of specific resources. The best part is that most of these solutions are free, so it all comes down to the timely launch of any particular program.

Tags