Russia Quietly Blocks ProtonMail Servers Over Bomb Threats
Russian authorities order internet providers to block encrypted email service ProtonMail following anonymous bomb threats. The sneaky block prevents email delivery while leaving the website accessible.
Russian internet providers enforce a block against encrypted email provider ProtonMail following an order from the state Federal Security Service. The agency accuses the company and other email providers of facilitating anonymous bomb threats that force several schools and government buildings to evacuate in late January. The sweeping order blocks 26 internet addresses, including servers used by the Tor anonymity network.
ProtonMail chief executive Andy Yen calls this block "particularly sneaky" because it targets back-end mail delivery servers instead of the front-end website. This means Russian users still load the ProtonMail site and access their inboxes, but they cannot send or receive any emails. Internet providers implement this disruption immediately using a technique known as BGP blackholing, which forces routers to discard the targeted internet traffic entirely.
Yen states that this wholesale blocking hurts all Russian citizens who seek greater online security and privacy. Despite the government's actions, ProtonMail implements technical measures to restore service for its Russian users. The block coincides with widespread protests against government efforts to restrict the internet through what critics describe as an internet "kill switch."