Russia cracks down on Internet searches and VPNs with new fines
Russia's State Duma approved new fines for searching for content considered "extremist' and virtual private network providers that enable access to that material as authorities deepen a long-running crackdown on the Internet.
Individuals found to be deliberately searching for prohibited content online, including through the use of a VPN, will face fines of as much as 5,000 rubles (US$64), according to amendments published on the State Duma's website.
VPN providers that enable access to such resources, fail to cooperate with Russian regulators, or advertise the use of VPNs could be fined as much as 500,000 rubles, with even higher penalties for repeat violations.
The changes will take effect in September if President Vladimir Putin signs them into law, marking a shift under which Russians could face penalties for merely accessing content rather than creating or promoting it.
The Russian government defines what counts as "extremist' under law by adding entities to a list.
A Moscow court in 2022 banned Meta Platforms Inc and its Facebook and Instagram services, and placed the parent company on the list of extremist organisations. That list has more than 100 organisations on it now.
Authorities have also outlawed multiple human rights organisations, and several songs with lyrics that criticise the government or war on Ukraine.
Russia has already banned or throttled access to many popular social media platforms, including YouTube and Discord, as well as independent news outlets.
Russia blocked nearly 800,000 web pages in 2024 alone, 19% more than in the previous year, Interfax reported citing the country's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor.
The use of VPNs currently isn't prohibited in Russia, though it's illegal to use such software to access outlawed or blocked content, and many popular services have been blacklisted.
In an unusual step, prominent Kremlin allies criticized aspects of the legal changes. The editor-in-chief of the state-funded broadcaster RT, Margarita Simonyan, questioned how she could conduct investigations if accessing materials was prohibited.
"I hope there will be amendments,' she said in a statement on Telegram late Wednesday. Others questioned the ease with which someone could unknowingly fall afoul of the new regulations.
President Vladimir Putin also signed a law in June to create a state-run messaging application, designed to integrate government services, similar to Chinese WeChat. That's expected to compete with Telegram and WhatsApp, which are currently Russia's most popular messengers. – Bloomberg
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