Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development plans to allocate nearly 60 billion rubles (around $660 million) over the next five years to enhance its internet censorship system, according to a government proposal seen by Reuters.
This initiative, aimed at upgrading the TSPU (Technical Measures to Combat Threats) system, is part of Roskomnadzor’s broader campaign to control what Russian citizens read and view online. According to research by Censored Planet, a project that monitors global online censorship, the TSPU system consists of proprietary traffic management tools developed, distributed, and monitored by Russia’s state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor.
The proposal, titled “Cybersecurity Infrastructure,” sets aside approximately $660 million from Russia’s federal budget for the period 2025-2030 to purchase new equipment and software for the TSPU.
Experts note that the modernization of the TSPU system is part of Moscow’s ongoing efforts to suppress free speech and access to information, particularly in the wake of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. A key target of this campaign is VPN services, used by millions of Russians to bypass government restrictions.
Stanislav Shakirov, from the digital rights group “Roskomsvoboda,” stated that current censorship efforts are already “quite effective” in blocking VPNs, but the increased funding is likely to enhance TSPU’s ability to do so.
“This doesn’t mean there won’t be ways to bypass these blockades, but it will certainly make things more difficult,” Shakirov told Reuters.
