The Russian app store RuStore is exploring the possibility of launching its own VPN service — but with strict content filtering. Users have started receiving offers to participate in surveys where they were to assess the demand for a tool for "legal and safe" access to foreign resources.
Judging by the questionnaire, two scenarios are being considered. A free option — with limited functionality: it is needed to use government services and banking services while abroad. A paid plan (approximately 999 rubles per month) — already for accessing foreign platforms from Russia, including popular work services and educational platforms.
But the key detail is the restrictions. Through such a VPN, it will not be possible to open YouTube, Netflix, Telegram, and services recognized as extremist and prohibited in Russia. That is, we are not talking about a classic circumvention of blocking, but about controlled access to the "permitted" part of the Internet.
Officially, RuStore does not confirm the development. The company claims that it is only studying the demand so far. However, the format of the survey itself hints: if the service appears, it will probably be built directly into the store application and become part of its ecosystem.