OREANDA-NEWS   Russian operators will introduce fees for using VPN services in Russia. At the same time, digital platforms will not allow users who log in using such technologies. Maksut Shadaev, the head of the Ministry of Finance, called on business representatives to do this, Forbes reports, citing several sources.

It is noted that the agency's initiative comes from a closed instruction from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to the publication, with reference to interlocutors, on Saturday, March 28, Shadaev held two meetings with business representatives. The first was attended by major telecom operators, and the second by representatives of digital platforms and online retail, including marketplaces and social networks. The head of the Ministry of Finance asked them to take measures against the use of VPN services by Russians.

In particular, telecom operators were called upon to introduce fees for using more than 15 gigabytes of international traffic per month on mobile devices. According to a Forbes source in the telecommunications industry, these conditions are planned to be introduced for mobile subscribers from May 1.

According to other sources of the publication, the platforms were asked to limit the use of services for users who use a VPN. Moreover, an interlocutor with Forbes familiar with the meetings of the Ministry of Finance stated that Shadaev allowed the possibility of introducing administrative responsibility for using a VPN, but expressed the hope that it would not come to that.

Earlier, the Ministry of Finance wanted to force Apple to return Russian applications by prohibiting payment for services in the App Store from a mobile phone account.