Kremlin says some internet restrictions are necessary for security reasons

MOSCOW, April 14 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Tuesday that some internet restrictions which it conceded had caused disruption for many Russians were necessary for security reasons and did not represent a return to the past.

Russia has tightened its control over the internet since the start of its war in Ukraine in February 2022, blocking messenger apps and virtual private networks (VPN) used to bypass online censorship, and shutting down the mobile internet.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested that some of the measures were temporary in nature and would be lifted once it was safe to do so, while others were related to tech companies not complying with Russian law.