C.Martel
22nd July 2025, 11:05 AM
Russia Passes Law to Punish VPN Use, ‘Extremist’ Content Search
Russia’s State Duma passed a new law on Monday introducing fines for searching or accessing so-called extremist materials online, including through the use of VPN services.
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a tool that hides internet activity and location by routing connection through a secure server – oftentimes used to bypass government censorship.
The bill, passed in its third and final reading, was supported by 306 lawmakers, while 67 voted against and 22 abstained, according to independent Russian outlet Meduza.
Under the new law, individuals can face fines of 3,000 to 5,000 rubles (roughly $35–$60) for deliberately searching for banned content. Additional fines will apply for violating VPN usage rules.
Advertising VPNs could bring penalties of up to 80,000 rubles ($1,020) for individuals and up to 500,000 rubles ($6,376) for companies.
The legislation also makes committing a crime using a VPN an aggravating factor, meaning it could lead to harsher punishments.
The new rules were added as amendments to a broader bill on transport and logistics violations and were introduced on July 14.
Russia’s Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev told lawmakers that the law was designed to “strike a balance” by preventing the spread of extremist content without immediately banning major Western platforms.
Shadayev added that “ordinary users will not be affected,” though he did not explain how.
Opposition parties, including “New People,” the Communist Party, and “A Just Russia,” voted against the law.
Even though fines currently apply to VPN developers or providers, experts warn that the vague wording could lead to broader interpretations.
“If you have a VPN on your phone, that alone might be enough to trigger a deeper check,” Sarkis Darbinyan, co-founder of Russian digital advocacy group Roskomsvoboda, told The Moscow Times.
“Eventually, we could see criminal charges for VPN use after just one or two warnings – like with the law on foreign agents.”
Digital rights groups say the move could criminalize ordinary internet use. The Net Freedoms Project called it “a sneaky tactic,” noting that the censorship measures were quietly added to a bill originally meant to regulate the freight transport industry. That bill passed its first reading in January.
“This method – slipping repressive ideas into unrelated laws – has been used many times before,” the group warned.
Until now, Russians could only be punished for spreading banned content – not for simply viewing it. But that may soon change.
“This would be the first time Russian law holds people responsible just for what they search or read online,” said lawyer Stanislav Seleznev in a comment to Forbes, which was the first to report the changes.
Critics warn that the bill’s vague language could allow the state to target anyone who accesses opposition media, independent investigations, or even social media platforms that have been blocked in Russia.
The bill has sparked criticism, even from public figures typically supportive of government policies.
Kremlin propagandist Margarita Simonyan and Internet safety advocate Yekaterina Mizulina both spoke out against the amendments.
“Vague wording in the law could label millions of Russians as violators simply for searching or viewing unwanted information. To break the law, it might be enough to just click the wrong link or watch something “bad.” But as for what counts as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – only God knows,” Mizulina wrote on Telegram hours before the voting.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the idea of punishing people for simply searching for extremist content “requires more detailed explanations.”
On the morning of July 22, politician Boris Nadezhdin and his allies staged a protest outside Russia’s State Duma against the law. Several people were reportedly detained during the demonstration.
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/56772
Russia’s State Duma passed a new law on Monday introducing fines for searching or accessing so-called extremist materials online, including through the use of VPN services.
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a tool that hides internet activity and location by routing connection through a secure server – oftentimes used to bypass government censorship.
The bill, passed in its third and final reading, was supported by 306 lawmakers, while 67 voted against and 22 abstained, according to independent Russian outlet Meduza.
Under the new law, individuals can face fines of 3,000 to 5,000 rubles (roughly $35–$60) for deliberately searching for banned content. Additional fines will apply for violating VPN usage rules.
Advertising VPNs could bring penalties of up to 80,000 rubles ($1,020) for individuals and up to 500,000 rubles ($6,376) for companies.
The legislation also makes committing a crime using a VPN an aggravating factor, meaning it could lead to harsher punishments.
The new rules were added as amendments to a broader bill on transport and logistics violations and were introduced on July 14.
Russia’s Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev told lawmakers that the law was designed to “strike a balance” by preventing the spread of extremist content without immediately banning major Western platforms.
Shadayev added that “ordinary users will not be affected,” though he did not explain how.
Opposition parties, including “New People,” the Communist Party, and “A Just Russia,” voted against the law.
Even though fines currently apply to VPN developers or providers, experts warn that the vague wording could lead to broader interpretations.
“If you have a VPN on your phone, that alone might be enough to trigger a deeper check,” Sarkis Darbinyan, co-founder of Russian digital advocacy group Roskomsvoboda, told The Moscow Times.
“Eventually, we could see criminal charges for VPN use after just one or two warnings – like with the law on foreign agents.”
Digital rights groups say the move could criminalize ordinary internet use. The Net Freedoms Project called it “a sneaky tactic,” noting that the censorship measures were quietly added to a bill originally meant to regulate the freight transport industry. That bill passed its first reading in January.
“This method – slipping repressive ideas into unrelated laws – has been used many times before,” the group warned.
Until now, Russians could only be punished for spreading banned content – not for simply viewing it. But that may soon change.
“This would be the first time Russian law holds people responsible just for what they search or read online,” said lawyer Stanislav Seleznev in a comment to Forbes, which was the first to report the changes.
Critics warn that the bill’s vague language could allow the state to target anyone who accesses opposition media, independent investigations, or even social media platforms that have been blocked in Russia.
The bill has sparked criticism, even from public figures typically supportive of government policies.
Kremlin propagandist Margarita Simonyan and Internet safety advocate Yekaterina Mizulina both spoke out against the amendments.
“Vague wording in the law could label millions of Russians as violators simply for searching or viewing unwanted information. To break the law, it might be enough to just click the wrong link or watch something “bad.” But as for what counts as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – only God knows,” Mizulina wrote on Telegram hours before the voting.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the idea of punishing people for simply searching for extremist content “requires more detailed explanations.”
On the morning of July 22, politician Boris Nadezhdin and his allies staged a protest outside Russia’s State Duma against the law. Several people were reportedly detained during the demonstration.
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/56772