Russia bans Ooklas Speedtest fearing internet disruption
Moscow, Jul 30 (PTI) Amid warnings of a drop in the speed of mobile internet services, Russia has blocked US-based internet speed-measuring tool Speedtest, citing potential threats to its network, according to local media reports.
According to Roskomnadzor (RKN), Russia's communications watchdog, the Speedtest by Ookla poses a threat to the internet in Russia because it allows the analysis of the connection speed and latency. Experts claim this data is crucial for remotely piloted attacker drones.
Interfax reported that Ookla was fined in 2022 and 2023 for failing to localise data of Russian users of the service.
Meanwhile, RKN has warned users about the drop in the speed of mobile internet and advised them to use WiFi and cable-linked internet services as a precautionary measure amid frequent drone attacks by Ukraine.
Even in Moscow, there are blank spots in GPS coverage due to reduced internet speed. Consequently, the taxi arrives before one sees it coming on the map. PTI VS AMJ AMJ
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July 31, 2025, 03:45 IST
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