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The Economic Times
The Economic Times
Technology

Two phones and an app: How Russians skirt Putin's digital iron curtain

Russia Kremlin Vladimir Putin Telegram United States Internet FSB Meta WhatsApp Irina

In a quiet cafe popular for its free Wi-Fi and good coffee, a Russian interior designer logs onto a virtual private network so she can chat with friends abroad using the U.S. messaging service WhatsApp, which is blocked inside Russia.

Later, she toggles off the VPN to ​buy a ticket on the Russian Railways website, which bars anyone using the tools to obscure their location. ​She then picks up a second phone to check for messages from clients on the state-controlled app MAX.

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