President Putin has signed a law banning searches for “extremist” content, raising concerns about surveillance, censorship, and police liability.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a controversial new law criminalizing searches for online content labeled as “extremist.”
Signed on Thursday, the bill introduces fines of up to 5,000 rubles (about $64) for individuals who “knowingly” view or seek such material. The law, which takes effect on September 1, has sparked criticism from both pro-Kremlin figures and opposition groups.
Yekaterina Mizulina, head of the Kremlin-linked Safe Internet League, said the law could disrupt efforts to report extremist content, warning it may even expose police officers to legal risk.
Amnesty International condemned the legislation as “vague and overly broad,” saying it allows for arbitrary enforcement.
Also on Thursday, Putin signed a separate law banning the advertising of VPN services widely used to bypass online censorship in Russia.