VPNs and disappearing messages began to be used as an argument for arrest, HRC Merkacheva said The use of VPNs, disappearing messages and hidden contacts were considered "conspiracy methods" when justifying arrest requests, said Eva Merkacheva, a member of the Human Rights Council. "The story that they see conspiracy methods in the fact that a person uses a VPN, messages disappear, that he has hidden connections is not only something new, but also such a signal to society," Marcheva noted. She emphasized that in the past the need for arrest was usually justified by the "seriousness" of the alleged crime, "danger of escape" or "possibility of pressure" on the participants in the process. Automatic deletion of messages may be due to normal reasons, for example, the desire not to overload the phone's memory. In July, the deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Anton Tkachev, said that the use of special means when committing crimes, including VPN, could be considered "aggravating" circumstances. According to him, the corresponding bill could be accepted in the fall.