The Russian government caused a major disruption to the country’s online financial services while attempting to tighten internet censorship. In an effort to stop citizens from using VPNs to access blocked platforms like Telegram, the government’s filtering systems accidentally interfered with encrypted data used by financial institutions, leading to widespread glitches in banking apps and online payment services. According to Telegram founder Pavel Durov and other industry sources, these technical failures were so severe that cash became the only reliable way to pay for goods in many areas, including the Moscow Metro.
