Is it legal to use proxies and VPN?

Законно ли использование прокси и VPNNot so long ago, the Russian Internet has undergone changes that made it difficult for users to access a number of foreign resources. For this reason, VPN services and proxy servers have become popular, because they somehow help to solve this problem. However, due to the growing demand, users increasingly wonder about the legality of using such tools.

These questions arise because proxies and VPNs are used to stay anonymous online. They hide the user's real IP address and location, which helps to anonymously visit Internet resources. Thus, these properties can be used to commit offenses, so it calls into question the legality of proxy servers and VPN services.

 

Proxy and VPN Law

In general, the law in Russia does not provide for responsibility for using a proxy servers. This means that their use is completely legal. Even if proxies are used to commit illegal acts, such as fraud, the person using them will be held liable for the act itself, and not for the fact that it was performed using proxy servers. To take a simple illustration, a person who cuts wood illegally will be punished for illegal wood cutting, not for doing it with an axe.

As for VPN services, they are partially regulated by the law. However, these requirements apply to telecom operators that provide VPN services. According to the law, the activities of VPN services are not prohibited, but service owners are required to restrict access to prohibited websites at the request of the authorities. In spite of this, users are not prohibited from visiting such websites, and any responsibility lies with the VPN operator, which has not restricted access to them. In other words, ordinary users can use VPN services without any restrictions from the law.

Can proxies and VPN be banned?

Even if a ban on the use of proxies and VPNs is imposed, it will not happen in the near future, since they are used not only for visiting sites or for committing offenses.

Let’s sum up: the use of proxy servers and VPNs is legal because the law does not regulate the use of these tools by users. Nevertheless, you should remember that using proxies and VPNs to commit crimes is prosecuted fully of the law.