State Duma Deputy Anton Nemkin has issued a reminder about the potential risks associated with using VPN services. Speaking with RIA Novosti, Nemkin, who is also the federal coordinator for the “Digital Russia” party project and a member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, stated that VPNs do not guarantee complete online anonymity and offer no defense against threats such as phishing or computer viruses.
According to Nemkin, VPN services themselves might collect and sell user activity data. While acknowledging that VPNs encrypt traffic, he stressed that this process does not render the user invisible online.
Nemkin specifically pointed out that VPNs offer no protection against phishing attacks, viruses, malicious browser extensions, or Trojan malware that could infect a device through various third-party sources.
The deputy believes that many users mistakenly perceive VPNs as a tool for absolute anonymity. This misconception leads them to make significant security errors, such as accessing personal accounts via public VPN services, saving passwords within their browsers, and failing to regularly clear cookie files. He noted that these actions effectively negate any privacy benefits gained from traffic encryption.
In related news, it was previously reported that the Ministry of Digital Development intends to establish unified regulations for VPN operations within Russia. Head of the Ministry, Maksut Shadaev, mentioned an increase in traffic routed through VPNs, while affirming that Roskomnadzor continues its efforts to block services that do not adhere to Russian legal requirements.
Clement Ashworth 
Barnaby Whitfield