Russians' demand for VPNs skyrockets after Meta block

FILE PHOTO: The coat of arms of Russia is reflected in a laptop screen in this picture illustration taken February 12, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

(Reuters) - As Russia blocked access to Meta Platforms Inc's flagship social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, demand from internet users for tools to skirt the restrictions skyrocketed, data from a monitoring firm showed.

Instagram access in Russia was cut from Monday in response to Meta's decision last week to allow social media users in Ukraine to post messages such as "Death to the Russian invaders". Facebook was already banned over what Moscow said were restrictions on access to Russian media there.