Russia’s upper house of parliament has approved a controversial new bill that will punish individuals for deliberately searching for or accessing content labeled as “extremist” by the state.
The legislation, which was passed by the lower house earlier this week and now awaits President Vladimir Putin’s signature, introduces fines of up to $64 for such online activity.
It marks another step in the government’s tightening control over internet use and digital freedom.
Supporters of the law claim it aims to protect national security and combat extremism, with Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko insisting it will not affect “conscientious citizens.”
However, critics warn the law’s vague definition of “extremism” could be weaponized to silence dissent.
Under Russian law, groups such as the late Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation and the “international LGBT movement” are already labeled as extremist.
How authorities intend to track or differentiate between casual users and deliberate seekers of banned content remains unclear.
Despite widespread use of VPNs in Russia to access restricted content, officials have ramped up efforts to block such services, deploying advanced tools to monitor and limit online traffic.
The measure is part of a broader crackdown on dissent that intensified following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with a sharp rise in censorship, the closure of independent media, and criminal cases against activists and Kremlin critics.
