Russian lawmakers have approved stricter penalties for accessing banned online content during a second parliamentary vote, according to TASS. The new measures impose fines for deliberately searching or obtaining extremist materials, including through VPN services.
The vote saw 285 legislators support the amendment, with 19 opposing and 20 abstaining. Violators now face penalties ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles for seeking or accessing prohibited materials.
Digital rights advocates warn that authorities could track user activity by obtaining browsing data from search engines (such as ya.ru), internet providers, and public Wi-Fi administrators (like those in subways, cafes, or hotels) unless traffic is encrypted.
Lawmakers also passed fines for advertising VPN services, ranging from 50,000 rubles for individuals to 500,000 rubles for businesses. Additional penalties include fines up to 50,000 rubles for transferring SIM cards and up to 200,000 rubles for sharing internet account credentials.
The amendments have drawn criticism from Russian activists. Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League, warned that the measures could "cripple" her organization's work.
Alexander Teeterdinko, a member of the State Construction and Legislation Committee, defended the policy, stating: "You can't accidentally encounter extremist content on social media or read it by chance. This only happens when someone deliberately searches in unregulated corners of the internet beyond our jurisdiction."