US EditionRussia approves fines of $64 for ‘extremist’ searches, $6,400 for VPN promotion
RUSSIA, JUL 17 – The legislation imposes fines up to 5,000 rubles for accessing extremist content and up to 500,000 rubles for noncompliant VPN providers, aiming to tighten internet regulation in Russia.
- On July 16, 2025, the lower-house State Duma removed the court ruling requirement for banning groups, classifying organizations as extremist based on a single member’s conviction, and proposed fines up to 5,000 rubles for searching extremist content via VPN.
- Amid tightened information controls, the Kremlin amended federal extremism and mass media laws to improve regulation and limit circumvention, as part of a broader legislative push.
- Under the draft Article 13.53, enforcement extends to VPN service owners and advertisers, impacting those who promote or operate circumvention tools, with references to extremist content on Meta Corporation's platforms.
- Critics argue the law is `vague and overly broad`, undermining judicial oversight and raising concerns about unlawful surveillance, according to Amnesty International.
- Starting in September, fines will enforce restrictions on extremist content access, with critics warning these laws violate Russia’s constitution and international obligations.
65 Articles
65 Articles
Longer list of political crimes, greater number of political prisoners, more power for secret services – opposition in Russia becomes more dangerous.
Russia gearing up to prosecute internet users for searching ‘extremist’ content - Committee to Protect Journalists
Berlin, July 18, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a bill under consideration in the Russian State Duma that would introduce fines for accessing or searching for “extremist” online content, threatening to further restrict press freedom and access to information. The bill, which passed its second reading on July 17, 2025, is the “most serious step in censorship and the fight against dissent since 2022,” when lawmakers intro…
Proposed Russian Law Set to Penalize Individuals for Internet Searches of “Extremist Content”
By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor Russia continues its will to control the thoughts and inquiries of citizens. Most recently the State Duma is voting to amend existing legislation to assess an administrative fine against individual internet users “searching for and gaining access to extremist materials.” Predictably the definition of Extremist likely will include anything the state considers objectionable and the targets will likely include i…
The short-term and fast-track legislative adjustments are even critical of propagandists. They open the door to arbitrariness and serve primarily as intimidation.
The State of Russia has adopted a law which provides hard sanctions for the search for online content "extremist" and for the promotion of VPNs or the sharing of SIM folders. The project has eliminated not only in civil society, but also in research from Kremlin. Including the spokesman of the Russian President, Dmitri Peskov, requested additional explanations on how to implement the new measures.
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