There are spikes shown for countries with multiple events. There are tools to circumvent internet restrictions in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine and the government blocking some social media services. Finding ways around Russia's internet blockade could allow its citizens to stay connected to the rest of the world and gather information from sources other than state-owned outlets. Get market news that is relevant to you. You can subscribe for free. Virtual private networks allow users to hide their locations to evade location-based restrictions and make browsing more private. On March 5, the day after Russia blocked access to Facebook, demand for VPNs surged by 1,092% in Russia. The site tracks search volume data and it shows that demand in Ukraine increased by 609% when the invasion began. Downloads of the eight popular PureVPN apps in Russia increased from February to March. The providers are reporting spikes of their own. Russia's average weekly sales have increased by 3,500% since February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, according to Surfshark. ExpressVPN said traffic to its website from Russia increased by 330% last week. Traffic from Ukraine increased by 130%. There has been a 1,000% increase in sign ups for its service in Russia. "It's no surprise that VPNs and other encryption tools are seeing a major increase in sign ups right now," said Andy Yen, founder and CEO of Proton. It's the only thing that gives a semblance of online privacy and freedom for citizens in Russia and Ukraine. Simon Migliano, head of research at Top10VPN.com, said that access to officially blocked content is not allowed in Russia, but that use of a virtual private network is legal. When authoritarian regimes try to control their citizens and suppress their ability to communicate with one another, there will always be push-back, according to Migliano. Russia is trying to block traffic at the network level, and he expects that to intensify. This is a game of cat-and-mouse, and the best VPNs services have years of hard-won experience gained in China in obfuscating their traffic. As a result, these VPNs services are providing Russians with critical access to officially banned independent, foreign and social media, even if Russian users may have to deal with switch server and even apps from time to time. In recent years, conflicts and internet restrictions have led to a surge in the use of VPNs in other countries. In January, demand in the country went up by 3,405%, according to Top10VPN.com. When China passed a national security law, Surfshark saw a 700% increase in sales, but the downloads in Russia are unprecedented, according to Gabriele Racaityte. Journalists might be quicker to use a virtual private network to report sensitive information than the average citizen. Governments rely on the fact thatIgnorance or fear will allow them to retain their grip on power. The story was first published on March 8. Get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. You can subscribe for free. The leader of Hong Kong warned that the outbreak of coronaviruses has yet to reach its peak as China instituted new restrictions that included urging the public not to leave Beijing. There were five new cases of the H1N1 in Beijing and part of the Yosemite housing complex was locked down. Across the border from war-engulfed Ukraine, tiny, impoverished Moldova is nervously watching the Russian invasion. In Gagauzia, a small part of the country that felt closer to the Kremlin than the West, people would usually back Russia. The new original series will only be available on Paramount+. You can try it for free. 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