Redazione RHC : 1 September 2025 07:41
In Russia, a law amending fines from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles for deliberately searching for extremist material on the Internet, including using a VPN, came into force on September 1. The document was published on the portal for the publication of legal documents. Citizens are subject to a fine of this amount.
For advertising VPN services, the fine will be 50,000-80,000 rubles, for officials 80,000-150,000 rubles, and for legal entities 200,000-500,000 rubles. Extremist materials include those included by the Ministry of Justice in the published Federal List of Extremist Materials or those specified in Article 1, Paragraph 3 of the Federal Law “On Countering Extremist Activities.” This register currently contains approximately 5,500 entries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law on July 31. The State Duma adopted it on July 22, and three days later the Federation Council approved the document. In mid-July, a group of United Russia MPs submitted amendments to the bill “strengthening administrative liability for certain crimes in the transport and shipping sector” for the second reading of the bill. The proposal caused a stir, even in the State Duma itself.
For example, during the second reading of the initiative, Communist Party MP Alexei Kurinny argued that fines for searching for extremist materials are similar to punishment for crimes of opinion. The co-authors of the amendments emphasized that citizens will not be punished for using VPNs and that discussing them on social networks is not considered advertising for the services.
The Kremlin has requested a more detailed explanation of the initiative. Before the third reading vote in the State Duma, Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev addressed deputies, explaining the bill’s provisions. He emphasized that penalties will only be imposed for intentionally viewing extremist material, while no penalties will be imposed for using social networks, even if recognized as extremist.
Furthermore, security officials will have to prove intent: this will be their primary task when sentencing a crime, the minister noted. Despite criticism, both chambers of Parliament ultimately approved the bill.
Redazione