This week, Russia’s State Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, adopted a draft law that imposes fines on ordinary citizens for “intentionally” searching for “extremist” content on the internet, including via censorship circumvention tools like Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
Violations of these new amendments lead to fines ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 RUB (approximately US$ 38 to 64). If adopted by the upper house and signed by the president, the law would come into effect this September.
Another draft law adopted on the same day by the Duma introduced the use of VPNs as an aggravating circumstance for committing certain crimes.
Following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia intensified its control over the internet, descending into wartime censorship. Authorities have blocked websites of independent media outlets, human rights organizations, and political opposition, as well as foreign platforms, for failing to comply with draconian national laws regulating online activity.
Authorities have increasingly designated organizations, groups, and platforms as “extremist,” including the Anti-Corruption Foundation, founded by opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison, the so called “International Public LGBT organization” (a state term for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people), and even Instagram. Authorities have blocked over 56,000 resources for refusing to delete extremist materials.
To overcome these restrictions, many internet users in Russia have turned to tools like VPNs. Although Russian law already prohibits VPNs from providing access to blocked websites, and hundreds have been banned, individual VPN users have not faced legal consequences until now.
The draft law sanctioning certain searches also proposes heavy fines for advertising VPN services that allow access to blocked content; up to 80,000 RUB (around US$ 1,022) for individuals and 500,000 RUB (around US$ 6,389) for organizations. VPN providers and certain internet devices that facilitate access to blocked resources would face similar penalties.
Moreover, the bill prohibits sharing of SIM cards and online accounts among individuals, essentially enhancing the state’s capacity for surveillance through persistent user identification.
How the draft law would be implemented remains unclear, but it threatens to further erode access to independent information and legitimize mass surveillance online under the guise of national security. And it sends alarming signals to those inside Russia who seek access to uncensored information.
Developers and funders of censorship circumvention tools should step up efforts to enable people in Russia to pierce the tightening digital iron curtain.
.){kind=link}