TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Russia's internet regulator Roskomnadzor has removed "youtube.com" from its DNS (Domain Name System) servers. If a user tries to access the site directly without a VPN (Virtual Private Network), their router can no longer assign the address to its IP address.
This means that YouTube is no longer accessible in Russia. The WhatsApp domain has also disappeared from Roskomnadzor's servers. The Russian government has also launched a campaign against the messenger app Telegram, leading analysts to say Roskomnadzor is cracking down on platforms beyond its control.
If DNS servers are like the internet's phone book, IP addresses are numbers assigned to computers, smartphones and routers to make them accessible and identifiable.
A VPN creates an encrypted connection between a user's device and a server, allowing the user to bypass geo-blocking and surf anonymously.
DW reviewed tips from experts and internet users on how to circumvent Russian blocks. In an anonymous survey, when asked whether they had noticed problems with YouTube in Russia, 46 percent of respondents told DW they used the video platform via a VPN, 24 percent reported ongoing connection problems despite using a VPN. Another 27 percent told DW they did not live in Russia, while 3 percent said they did not use a VPN and had experienced disruptions.
NDNS: Alternative internet directory
The DNS servers of Roskomnadzor should actually be referred to as NDNS, or the National Domain Name System, according to internet censorship expert Michael Klimarev, who posted this on the Telegram channel zatelecom.
He said the software and hardware system had been introduced in Russia alongside the Sovereign Internet Law.
"It is an alternative 'internet directory' that Russian telecommunications providers must use," he explained.
He added that, according to the law, Russian providers are not allowed to use international domain registrars but only NDNS, enabling the authorities to control access to websites centrally.
According to the na_sviazi Telegram channel, 13 domain names were recently removed from NDNS, including those of DW, BBC, Radio Liberty, Facebook and Instagram.
Until now, Roskomnadzor had primarily used Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to restrict internet access. This data processing technology enables internet traffic to be analyzed and filtered.
DPI can also slow data transmission and ensure videos load slowly or not at all for Russian YouTube users. So, in the past, the video platform was technically available, but did not always work.
Independent telecommunications expert Alexey Uchakin told the business portal of the Russian media group RBC that he presumed Roskomnadzor's capacity to slow down data transmission was limited, and the regulator might have opted for more restrictions to free up its own resources to block Telegram.
'Nothing works without a VPN'
In comments on DW's YouTube channel, users reported a deterioration in the quality of access to the internet.
"Even with a VPN, there is a noticeable slowdown and instability," noted one user.
"YouTube is more difficult to watch," said another, adding: "But I don't think that's because of YouTube but because of the VPN. I use free versions."
Another user said they never turned off the VPN on their laptop "because nothing works without it."
Tips on how to circumvent blocks are already being exchanged on social networks in Russia. However, some users fear that the authorities will also be able to detect settings used to circumvent censorship.
Last year, a law that imposes a fine of up to 5,000 rubles (approx. €55 or $65) for searching for "extremist material" on the internet and also using VPNs came into force.
YouTube has not officially been classified as an "undesirable organization" in Russia, but authorities regularly accuse the platform of distributing prohibited content.
What can ordinary internet users do?
"If only one NDNS is available in a country, no settings can help restore normal DNS functionality," says the na_sviazi Telegram channel.
"In this case, a user must seriously consider protecting their data traffic and choose reliable VPNs."
But many users have also complained that even VPNs are not reliable. Some presume this is partly due to restrictions imposed by VPN providers themselves or ad blockers.
Klimarev confirmed VPNs and third-party DNS services did not offer complete protection. He says internet providers could also block alternative DNS services.
For him, a reliable VPN is still the most effective way to stay in touch with the outside world, but he warned that the Russian authorities might falsify IP addresses: "And then you won't be directed to where you want to go."
If a user cannot access genuine websites, they might be directed to fakes designed to steal logins, passwords and bank details.
Officially, Roskomnadzor has justified the restrictions on Telegram by saying the platform has violated "Russian law" and is a "threat to citizens."
A Moscow court already fined Telegram for refusing to delete "prohibited content" and failing to comply with the "obligations of a social media operator."
Klimarev believes that if the situation continues to develop in similar fashion, "at some point, there will be a completely different internet in the Russian Federation that differs from the global one. And it will not be trustworthy."
Read: Russia Moves to Block WhatsApp, Pushes State-Backed rival
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