The Russian State Duma has approved amendments to the Administrative Offenses Code (KoAP), introducing fines for individuals found to be intentionally searching for extremist materials on the internet. The penalty for ordinary citizens will range from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles.
The law passed in its third and final reading with 306 deputies in favor, 67 against, and 22 abstaining. According to Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, lawmakers will continue monitoring the law's implementation and consider revisions if needed.
“Clearly, we must not leave this issue without oversight. If we see that the provisions are imperfect and need adjustments, we will revisit the law,” said Volodin.
Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev clarified that only the deliberate viewing of extremist materials would be punishable. Simply visiting social networks— even those labeled extremist—would not result in fines, he stressed.
Authorities will be required to prove intent on the part of the individual. The materials in question are those included in the federal list of extremist content maintained by the Ministry of Justice, which currently contains around 5,500 entries.
According to Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League, this law marks the first official attempt to trace Russian citizens' “digital footprints.” She noted the fines apply even when using VPNs to access such content.
Mizulina expressed concern over the vague language in the law, warning that “millions of Russians” could be caught up in enforcement, even for merely clicking a link. She cautioned that arbitrary application of the law could affect “everyone—including deputies themselves, their wives, and their children.”
“Are we to expect a ‘search history’ tab in the government’s digital profile system next?” Mizulina quipped, alluding to future state monitoring.
She also warned the law could fuel fraud, blackmail, and extortion, given how easy it would become to “set someone up.” Moreover, there are no safeguards to prevent the Ministry of Justice from quietly expanding the extremist list.
Criticism also came from political figures. Some Communist Party members likened the law to punishment for “thought crimes.” Vladislav Davankov, deputy speaker from the “New People” party, called it an “obvious overreach into the private lives of all citizens.”
Shadayev reiterated that users would not be penalized merely for accessing banned social networks. Meanwhile, Sergey Boyarsky, head of the Duma’s Information Policy Committee, reassured the public that “VPNs will not be banned.”
