Russian censors target Google in VPN takedown push | Tech Radar

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Russian censors target Google in VPN takedown push

Google appears to be resisting mass removal requests for now, even as competitors restrict access to VPNs

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Google reportedly hit by 233 VPN removal orders in Russia in March

Requests to remove 500 URLs from Search were also issued in April

Zoog VPN was removed from Google Play, but flagged as "malicious"

Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, issued removal orders for 233 apps on Google Play in March 2026 alone, specifically targeting tools designed to bypass internet restrictions.

The findings, first reported by Important Stories, serve as another example of how Russian censors are intensifying their crackdown on VPN use across the country.

Tech Radar also identified records in the Lumen Database — a US non-profit tracking global content removal requests — detailing an April request from Roskomnadzor to delist over 500 URLs from Google Search results in Russia. The order cited the 2017 Federal Law No. 276-FZ, which prohibits the use of VPN services to access state-blocked content.

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However, Google appears to be largely resisting these demands. Speaking to Tech Radar in April last year, Benjamin Ismail, Campaign and Advocacy Director at Great Fire, said that only six apps were removed despite more than 200 blocking orders. It is unclear how many apps were removed as a result of the most recent round of orders.

Google mostly resisting removal orders, but Zoog VPN disappears

Removal orders targeting app store providers are nothing new. According to data from Important Stories, Roskomnadzor has requested that Google delist at least 1,379 VPN services and other circumvention tools since 2024.

By comparison, Apple does not disclose full details about the takedown requests it receives. However, the company was found to have removed at least 60 VPN apps in 2024 alone from its Russian App Store, including major providers such as Nord VPN, Express VPN, and Proton VPN.

Apple's 2024 App Store Transparency Report also shows that 171 apps were removed from the Russian App Store over the year, upon government request. Last week, Apple was also reported to have removed some custom VPN clients from the Russian App Store.

Популярный сервис обхода блокировок Zoog VPN удален из Play Market. Google считает его вредоноснымТакие уведомления от Google начали получать пользователи Android. Google Play Защита автоматически рекомендует удалить Zoog VPN с устройства и отзывает все разрешения. Кроме того,… pic.twitter.com/FL43 Uur LWi April 7, 2026

It's worth noting, however, that on Tuesday (April 7), a Russian civil society group, First Department, reported that a popular VPN app in the country, Zoog VPN, was removed from Google Play after being considered it as "malicious."

However, some apps are being removed by Google. On Tuesday, the Russian civil society group, First Department, reported that Zoog VPN — a popular VPN in Russia — had been removed from Google Play after being flagged as "malicious."

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Android users reportedly received system notifications from Google Play Protect urging them to uninstall the app and revoke its permissions. However, the developers at Zoog VPN claim this may be a "false positive" rather than a legitimate security threat.

It remains unclear whether Zoog VPN’s removal is directly linked to the surge in Russian takedown orders or is an unrelated technical issue. Tech Radar reached out to Google for clarification, but have not received a response at the time of publication.

In what digital rights experts have termed "Russia's great internet crackdown," residents are finding it increasingly difficult to access the open web.

Major hubs such as Moscow and St. Petersburg have reportedly become testing grounds for a "whitelist" censorship regime, where only pre-approved sites are accessible. At the same time, access to the popular messaging app Telegram has been restricted, with critics suggesting that it's a strategic move to push users toward the state-controlled MAX app.

As VPNs become an essential lifeline for many Russians, authorities are doubling down on their campaign against circumvention tools.

Last week, Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadaev launched a plan to "reduce VPN usage," introducing new blocking mandates for companies alongside fines and fees for individual VPN users

Despite these challenges, some censorship-resistant VPNs — namely Amnezia VPN, Windscribe, and Nym VPN — told Tech Radar that they are still working in the country.

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Chiara is a multimedia journalist committed to covering stories to help promote the rights and denounce the abuses of the digital side of life – wherever cybersecurity, markets, and politics tangle up. She believes an open, uncensored, and private internet is a basic human need and wants to use her knowledge of VPNs to help readers take back control. She writes news, interviews, and analysis on data privacy, online censorship, digital rights, tech policies, and security software, with a special focus on VPNs, for Tech Radar and Tech Radar Pro. Got a story, tip-off, or something tech-interesting to say? Reach out to chiara.castro@futurenet.com

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