- The Russian Parliament approved a law to punish online searches of the so -called ‘extremist’ content
- The law also adds new sanctions for VPN users, which makes its use to access extremist content a crime as an aggravating factor
- WhatsApp is the last application that will be prohibited in Russia
People in Russia will face new fines for “searching or accessing extremist materials to know”, even through VPN services.
The Russian Parliament, the State Duma, approved the new law on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, with 306 votes in favor, 67 against and 22 abstinent, as reported by the independent Russian news medium.
Until now, the law has attracted strong criticism, even among the pro -government figures, according to PakGazette. Digital rights experts are also increasing alarm.
Russia VPN – What is changing with the new law?
Kremlin’s fight against the use of VPN is certainly not new. As more people in Russia have resorted to the best VPN applications to avoid increasingly strict internet censorship, the authorities have been doing everything possible to avoid this.
Since the deployment of sophisticated VPN blocking techniques in March 2024, the Government first introduced a law to criminalize the propagation of information on ways to avoid Internet restrictions.
This is likely to be the base that led to the infamous regulator of the Kremlin censorship body, Roskomnadzor, to issue VPN elimination demands against the great technological giant. Apple was the most demanding lot, killing at least 60 VPN applications, including the popular Russian Service Amnezia VPN, from July 2024 onwards.
Now, the new law presents additional sanctions for violating the rules on the use of VPN. This means that advertising VPN services can now cost people between 50,000 and 80,000 rubles ($ 640– $ 1,020). This increases 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, legislators also adopted a provision that makes the use of a VPN access to extremist content “a crime as an aggravating factor.”
How does Russia’s new law affect VPN users?
According to the Kremlin, the prohibition of online search of the so -called extremist content is an alternative to fully block foreign platforms.
“In our understanding, this [the adoption of the bill] It allows us to achieve a balance: on the one hand, to avoid the greater dissemination of extremist materials, [and] On the other hand, to refrain from blocking the main Western platforms for now, “said Digital Development Minister, Communications and Media Massut Mass Mass, Interfax reported.
Crucially, Shadayev also ensures that “ordinary users will not be affected,” despite not explaining how.
However, this guarantee is not to convince digital rights experts who now fear stronger repercussions against dissidents.
Speaking to Moscow Times, the co -founder of the Russian Digital Defense Group Roskomsvoboda, Sarkis Darbinyan, said: “If you have a VPN on your phone, that could only be enough to activate a deeper check. Eventually, we could see criminal charges for the use of VPN after one or two warnings, as with the law in foreign agents.”
It is also worth mentioning that the very popular WhatsApp application is likely to be restricted in Russia.
