Overview

• The Federation Council’s July 25 endorsement capped parliamentary approval and moved the bill to President Putin’s desk ahead of its planned September 1 enactment.
• Administrative fines of 3,000 to 5,000 rubles (US$38–64) will target intentional online searches for content labeled “extremist.”
• The legislation extends penalties to VPN promoters with fines up to 80,000 rubles for individuals and prohibits sharing of SIM cards and online accounts to enhance state surveillance.
• Russia’s Justice Ministry registry of extremist materials already exceeds 5,000 entries, encompassing opposition groups, LGBT organizations and major social media platforms.
• Rights groups and some Kremlin insiders warn that the law’s vague definitions and undefined enforcement mechanisms risk arbitrary application and could hamper government, business and academic activities.