Moscow (AP) The upper house of the Russian parliament swiftly approved a law on Friday that penalizes internet searches for content that has been officially labeled as extremist. This is the most recent in a string of actions taken by authorities to increase control over the internet.
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According to the law, intentionally looking for and accessing extremist content online can result in a fine of up to $64.
President Vladimir Putin is now expected to sign the bill into law after it was approved by the lower house earlier this week.
Opposition organizations like the international LGBT movement and the Anti-Corruption Foundation, founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, are included in the incredibly broad official definition of extremist activities.
How the authorities will find violators is unclear.
Legislators and officials stated that only individuals who deliberately seek out prohibited content will be targeted, and that regular internet users won’t be impacted. How the authorities would distinguish between them was not explained.
Although authorities have attempted to tighten restrictions and shut the loopholes, Russians frequently use VPN services to access content that is prohibited. Technology has been utilized more and more by the governmental communications watchdog to examine traffic and restrict particular VPN protocols.
The multifaceted crackdown on dissent by Russian authorities has intensified with the deployment of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Since then, there has been a sharp increase in internet censorship and criminal prosecutions for social media posts and remarks.
Numerous independent news organizations and human rights organizations have been closed, classified as foreign agents, or prohibited as undesirable. Criminal accusations have been brought against hundreds of Kremlin activists and critics.
