Overview

• The State Duma approved the measures on July 17 by a 305–19 vote in a second and decisive reading.
• Individuals face fines up to 5,000 Rubles for any online search deemed extremist under the new amendments.
• The law expands extremist content to include regime criticism, LGBTQI topics, historical research and opposition outlets such as Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.
• Advertising VPN services carries penalties up to 500,000 Rubles, although the use of VPNs remains legal.
• Internet providers are required to hand over users’ search records to security services, enhancing state surveillance capabilities.