News & Updates

Stay updated with the latest news from ASMO360

Direct Access: VPN On — Banks and Gov Sites Still Work

Direct Access is ASMO360's unique feature. Banks and government sites connect directly without VPN, all other traffic goes through the encrypted tunnel. No need to constantly toggle VPN on and off.

Apr 24, 2026features

Direct Access

split tunneling

банки

Russia Forces Major Services to Block VPN Users: Yandex, VK, Wildberries Comply

Starting April 14-15, 2026, Russia's largest digital platforms — Yandex, VK, Mail.ru, Wildberries, Ozon and banks — began blocking users with active VPN connections under threat of losing 'white list' status from the Ministry of Digital Development.

France Blocks VPN and DNS Services in Landmark Anti-Piracy Court Ruling

A Paris court ordered French internet providers, VPN services, and DNS resolvers to block 35 websites with pirated sports streams — in the largest single-day blocking action in France's history. ProtonVPN, CyberGhost, ExpressVPN, and DNS services from Google, Cloudflare, and Quad9 are among those required to comply.

Russian Court First to Recognize VPN Use as Aggravating Factor in Criminal Sentencing

A court in Novomoskovsk, Russia sentenced a 24-year-old man to 20 months in a general-regime prison colony for attempted drug purchase. For the first time, the use of a VPN service to access a blocked website was recognized as an aggravating circumstance in the sentencing.

Telegram Starts Working Without VPN in Russia: New Traffic Masking Technology

Telegram has started working without VPN for some Russian users, particularly Android users and Telegram Premium subscribers. Analysts say the messenger is using new browser-like traffic masking that makes blocking it technically very difficult without expensive specialized equipment.

Apr 19, 2026vpn-news

vpn

russia

Russia Amends Anti-Fraud Law to Force Hosting Providers to Block VPN Users

Russia's Ministry of Digital Development introduced amendments to the Anti-Fraud 2.0 bill requiring hosting providers to restrict VPN users based on Roskomnadzor's violator list. Experts say technical implementation is unclear and could harm the entire hosting industry.

Russia Cannot Detect VPN on iPhone: Ministry Admits iOS Architecture Defeats Surveillance

Russia's Ministry of Digital Development admitted that detecting VPN on iPhones is nearly impossible due to iOS security architecture. Over 20 companies were given until April 15 to block VPN users, but experts say compliance costs tens of millions of rubles per month.

RuStore Studies Its Own VPN with Content Filtering: No YouTube or Netflix

Russia's app store RuStore is surveying users about a VPN that blocks YouTube, Netflix, and Telegram — offering only government-approved internet access.

Russia Admits iPhone VPN Detection Is Nearly Impossible Due to iOS Privacy

Russia's Ministry of Digital Development has acknowledged that detecting VPN usage on iPhones is severely limited due to Apple's iOS privacy architecture. The ministry has sent detection guidelines to over 20 major Russian companies, but admits that iOS app isolation makes enforcement extremely challenging. Companies face an April 15, 2026 deadline to implement restrictions.

Russia Orders 20+ Major Platforms to Block VPN Users by April 15

Russia's Ministry of Digital Development has instructed over 20 major internet platforms, including Sberbank, Yandex, and VK, to block access for users connecting through VPNs. The deadline is April 15, 2026, with companies facing loss of IT accreditation and other privileges for non-compliance.

Russia Blocks Over 400 VPN Services as User Demand Surges to Record Highs

Russia's internet regulator Roskomnadzor has restricted access to over 400 VPN services by mid-January 2026, a 70% increase from October 2025. Despite aggressive blocking that now targets SOCKS5, VLESS, and L2TP protocols, VPN usage has exploded from 247,000 to over 6 million users.

Russia Blocks 469 VPN Services as Censorship Escalates

By February 2026, Roskomnadzor had blocked 469 VPN services, nearly doubling the count from 2024. The regulator is now targeting advanced protocols like VLESS and investing 2.3 billion rubles in AI-based VPN detection systems.

Apr 06, 2026internet-freedom

vpn

russia

roskomnadzor

Russia Orders Major Platforms to Block VPN Users by April 15

Russia's Ministry of Digital Development has instructed over 20 major companies including Sberbank, Yandex, and Ozon to detect and block VPN users by April 15, 2026. Companies that fail to comply risk losing their IT accreditation.

Apr 06, 2026internet-freedom

vpn

russia

blocking

Russia's VPN Crackdown Disrupts Banking Services Nationwide

On April 3, 2026, Russia experienced a massive banking outage affecting millions of users. InfoWatch president Natalya Kasperskaya linked the disruption to Roskomnadzor's aggressive VPN blocking campaign, reigniting the debate over internet freedom and digital infrastructure resilience.

Apr 05, 2026internet-freedom

vpn

russia

blocking

ASMO360 VPN for iOS and macOS — Stability and New Features

ASMO360 VPN for iPhone and Mac has been significantly improved: faster connections, better stability, macOS menu bar app, and new features like Direct Access and visual connection progress.

Mar 24, 2026product-updates

ios

macos

vpn