Russia plans to fine web users searching for extremist content

Russian lawmakers approve bill to fine internet users searching for extremist content

Background

On Tuesday the lower house of Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, passed a bill that would impose fines on anyone found to have deliberately searched for or accessed web pages, books, works of art or music albums that authorities have designated as “extremist”. The motion was supported by 306 votes to 67 and will now move to the upper house for review.

Bill details

• Deputies will be liable for up to 5,000 rubles (≈$64) for each offence.
• The legislation would cover more than 5,000 items on the justice ministry’s list of extremist materials, including songs praising Ukraine, blog posts by the Pussy Riot feminist rock band and websites critical of President Vladimir Putin.
• It is not yet clear whether internet service providers or websites would be responsible for monitoring violations.
• The bill would also ban advertising for virtual private networks (VPNs) and impose fines for transferring SIM cards to another person, restricting other ways of browsing with more privacy.

Reactions

• Activists and a journalist from Kommersant were arrested for protesting outside the State Duma hours before the vote.
• Boris Nadezhdin, an opposition politician, described the law as “something out of 1984”, noting that it punishes thought crimes.
• Some officials claim the legislation targets “those trying to destroy and ruin Russia using the internet.” Others warn that the bill could have broader ramifications.
• Margarita Simonyan, editor‑in‑chief of the pro‑Kremlin broadcaster Russia Today, said the legislation would make it impossible to investigate and expose extremist groups.

Potential impacts

The bill could further restrict freedom of expression, making it harder to expose extremist groups and to discuss politically sensitive topics. Because Russian authorities already block access to thousands of extremist sites, the new fines would add a financial penalty for simply searching for such content.

Next steps

If the upper house approves the bill, it will be sent to President Vladimir Putin for signature. Once signed, the legislation will be enacted and will apply to all users in Russia who are found to have searched for or accessed extremist material.