Control All & Delete: Russia's New Internet Rule Is Scary

Time of India

2 days ago

In Russia, the government has been trying to control what people see and do on the internet for many years. They block websites, spy on users, slow down pages they don't like, and ban social media that criticizes the government.
Now, a new law starting September 1 makes things even scarier. For the first time, people in Russia can get into trouble just for searching for certain things online. They can even be fined for using VPNs — tools that help people access blocked websites. That's like being punished just for reading something the government doesn't like.
The rule says people will be held responsible if they 'knowingly' look up or open 'extremist' material — but the law doesn't clearly say what that means. And there are over 500 pages of things the government calls 'extremist,' including websites and groups linked to Alexei Navalny, a well-known critic of President Putin who died earlier this year.
There are three big problems with this law:
Too many things are called 'extremist.' It includes people and groups that just disagreed with the government. No one knows how the government will watch what people search. Will internet companies spy on everyone? What about students or reporters doing research? The law is confusing on purpose. It makes people scared. Many Russians are already deleting apps and leaving certain online groups, even if they're not doing anything wrong — just to be safe.
Experts say this isn't really about protecting the country's internet. Russia doesn't even have the tech or money to control it like China does. Instead, this is more about stopping people from speaking out or organizing against the government.
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