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   Russia passes law against VPN usage and extremist content search   
      
   Date:   
   Wed, 23 Jul 2025 15:15:23 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Using a VPN in Russia to access extremist content has become a crime as an   
   aggravating factor. Here's all you need to know.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   People in Russia are set to face new fines for "searching for or accessing   
   knowingly extremist materials," including through VPN services.    
      
   Russian Parliament, the State Duma, passed the new law on Tuesday, July 22,   
   2025, with 306 votes in favor, 67 against, and 22 abstaining -- as reported by   
   Russian Independent news outlet Meduza .    
      
   The law has so far attracted strong criticism, even among pro-government   
   figures, according to Reuters . Digital rights experts are also raising the   
   alarm.   
      
   Russia VPN -- what's changing with the new law?   
      
   A virtual private network (VPN) is a crucial tool for people in Russia, thanks   
   to its IP-spoofing capabilities that allow bypassing of government-imposed   
   geo-restrictions, as well as strong encryption to help fight back against   
   online surveillance.   
      
   The Kremlin's fight against VPN usage certainly isn't new. As more people in   
   Russia have turned to VPN apps to bypass ever-stricter internet   
   censorship, authorities have been doing their best to prevent this.    
      
   From deploying sophisticated VPN blocking techniques in March 2024, the   
   government introduced for the first time a law to criminalize the spread of   
   information about ways to circumvent internet restrictions.    
      
   That's likely the basis that led the Kremlin's infamous censorship body   
   regulator Roskomnadzor, to issue VPN removal demands against the Big Tech   
   giant. Apple was the most complainant of the lot, killing at least 60 VPN    
   apps , including the popular Russian service Amnezia VPN , from July 2024   
   onwards alone.    
      
   Now, the new law introduces additional penalties for violating rules on VPN   
   usage. This means that advertising VPN services can now cost individuals   
   between 50,000-80,000 rubles ($640-$1,020). This rises to 80,000-150,000 rubles   
   ($1,020-$1,900) for officials, and 200,000-500,000 rubles ($2,550-$6,380) for   
   legal entities.    
      
   As Meduza reported, lawmakers also adopted a provision that makes using a VPN   
   to access extremist content "a crime as an aggravating factor."   
      
   How Russia's new law affect VPN users?   
      
   According to the Kremlin, banning the online search of so-called extremist   
   content comes as an alternative to completely blocking foreign platforms.    
      
   "In our understanding, this [the adoption of the bill] allows us to strike a   
   balance: on the one hand, to prevent the further dissemination of extremist   
   materials, [and] on the other hand, to refrain from blocking major Western   
   platforms for now," said Minister of Digital Development, Communications and   
   Mass Media Maksut Shadayev  Interfax reported .    
      
   Crucially, Shadayev also assures that "ordinary users will not be affected,"   
   despite failing to explain how.    
      
   This assurance isn't, however, convincing digital rights experts who now fear   
   stronger repercussions against dissidents.    
      
   Talking to The Moscow Times , co-founder of Russian digital advocacy group   
   Roskomsvoboda, Sarkis Darbinyan said: "If you have a VPN on your phone, that   
   alone might be enough to trigger a deeper check. Eventually, we could see   
   criminal charges for VPN use after just one or two warnings  like with the    
   law on foreign agents."    
      
   It's also worth mentioning that the highly popular WhatsApp app is now likely   
   to be restricted in Russia.   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/russia-passes-law-against-v   
   pn-usage-and-extremist-content-search   
      
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