A new law that bans virtual private networks (VPNs) in Russia is the latest in a series of steps by the country's government that critics say cracks down on internet freedom and increases cybersecurity risks.

The law bans VPNs and anonymizers, claims Amnesty International, and was criticized by, among others, Edward Snowden, who released a tweet saying, “Banning the 'unauthorized' use of basic internet security tools makes Russia both less safe and less free. This is a tragedy of policy.”

Denis Krivosheev, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International, said in a statement, “This is the latest blow in an assault on online freedom which has seen critical sites blocked and social media users prosecuted solely for what they post online, under vaguely written anti-extremism legislation. The ban on VPNs takes this shameful campaign a whole step further.”