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Russia criminalises online searches for 'extremist' content, tightens ... Home World Russia criminalises online searches for 'extremist' content, tightens censorship World Russia criminalises online searches for ‘extremist’ content, tightens censorship According to the new law, Russians could be fined up to 5,000 roubles for searching content deemed 'extreme' by the government including through virtual private networks (VPNs). Reuters 22 July, 2025 07:07 pm IST Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Linkedin A general view shows the headquarters of the lower house of Russia's parliament, State Duma, in central Moscow on 22 July 2025. | File Photo | Yulia Morozova | Reuters Follow Us : Text Size: A- A+ London: Russians will face fines if they search online for “extremist” content under a new law that tightens censorship and could have sweeping ramifications for digital privacy and the fate of WhatsApp in the country. The legislation, approved on Tuesday by parliament’s lower house, the State Duma, has drawn criticism from some pro-government figures, as well as opposition activists. Opponents say the fines it prescribes, of up to 5,000 roubles ($63.82), could open the door to tougher charges an…

Russia Blocks Record 417,000 Websites in 2024 as Kremlin Tightens ... In 2024, Russia blocked a record 417,000 websites, according to the independent monitoring group Roskomsvoboda, highlighting the Kremlin’s growing efforts to control the internet and stifle dissent. In total, 523,000 online resources were blocked, with 106,000 eventually unblocked, marking a significant rise in censorship compared to previous years, reports The Geopost. The rapid increase in blocked websites is part of Russia’s broader “internet sovereignty” strategy, aimed at asserting greater control over the information space. The number of permanently blocked websites doubled from the previous year, and the unblocking rate sharply declined, with only 106,000 websites restored in 2024 compared to 374,000 in 2023. Since 2016, Russian laws like the ‘Yarovaya law’ (Big Brother law) have required apps and services to add coding that allows the Federal Security Service (FSB) to access electronic messages. This move has been followed by increased repression of free speech, especially after the return of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in February 2024. The crackdown on the internet in Russia ha…

Russia: Telegram block leads to widespread assault on freedom of ... Joint StatementApril 30, 2018 International human rights, media, and Internet freedom organizations urge Russia and various intergovernmental organizations to redress Russia's freedom of expression and privacy violations online and offline. We, the undersigned 26 international human rights, media and Internet freedom organisations, strongly condemn the attempts by the Russian Federation to block the Internet messaging service Telegram, which have resulted in extensive violations of freedom of expression and access to information, including mass collateral website blocking. We call on Russia to stop blocking Telegram and cease its relentless attacks on Internet freedom more broadly. We also call the United Nations (UN), the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the European Union (EU), the United States and other concerned governments to challenge Russia’s actions and uphold the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and privacy online as well as offline. Lastly, we call on Internet companies to resist unfounded and extra-legal orders that violate their us…

Telegram Founder Durov Slams Russia’s Internet Censorship as a Boon for U.S. Spying “The Russian official who broke the internet and threw the country back by decades under the guise of ‘digital sovereignty’ deserves a national security medal — from the U.S.,” Durov wrote.

A Digital Resilience Gap: How Content from Russian Propaganda ... In December 2024, Telegram began restricting access to channels belonging to Russian propaganda resources sanctioned by the European Union. We examined how these restrictions currently function within the EU: whether the Telegram channels of sanctioned Russian resources are genuinely blocked for EU users, what methods remain available for circumventing the restrictions within the messenger, and what the overall role of Telegram is in promoting sanctioned Russian content across the EU. This study is a continuation of ourprevious work, in which we analyzed how internet service providers in France and Belgium were complying with requirements to block access to RT France, and what methods this sanctioned propaganda resource and its content still used to maintain a presence in the EU information space.At that time, we found that RT France remained accessible to a European audience through the use of alternative domains and mirror sites, the automatic reproduction of its content on aggregator websites, the dissemination of publications via Russian/pro-Russian networks, and quotation by other resources independent of the …

As tools for hybrid threats, apps like Telegram must be accountable SHARE Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to LinkedIn Share to Email Print This Post With Images Without Images The arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France has underscored the urgent need for more regulation of messaging and social media platforms that can be exploited for hybrid operation by both states and non-state groups. Once celebrated as the ultimate tool for free communication thanks to its encryption and lax moderation practices, Telegram now stands accused by French authorities of facilitating criminal activities and possibly being exploited for hybrid threats, particularly by Russian state actors. Hybrid threats blend military force with non-military tactics including cyberattacks and disinformation. To counter these threats, policymakers around the world must prioritise regulation, platform accountability, and the promotion of alternative platforms that are less susceptible to misuse, while also protecting free speech. It’s a delicate balancing act. Telegram’s role in such hybrid operations, particularly in the context of Russian state-backed activities, have become increasingly evident .…

State Duma Passes Bill Giving FSB Authority to Shut Down Internet and ... Feb. 17, 2026 Dmitri Lovetsky / AP / TASS The lower-house State Duma on Tuesday passed a bill that would require internet and mobile providers to comply with orders from Russia’s FSB security service to shut down telecommunications services. Lawmakers introduced the bill late last year, arguing it would help protect Russians and state institutions from security threats while shielding telecom companies from lawsuits, as regions across the country increasingly face widespread internet and mobile disruptions amid Ukrainian drone attacks. The bill, which 393 lawmakers voted in favor of, has since undergone a number of changes, including removing references to “security threats” as justification for shutdowns and changing the FSB’s authority from issuing “requests” to issuing binding “requirements.” Besides internet and mobile services, the bill would also allow security officials to block regular calls, text messages and even postal services, Russia’s Deputy Communications Minister Igor Lebedev said. Lebedev previously said some of the bill’s language was kept deliberately vague to “confuse enemies.” Thirteen S…

Roskomnadzor Blocks Over 1.2 Million Websites in 2025 Amid Rising ... Roskomnadzor Blocks Over 1.2 Million Websites in 2025 Amid Rising Internet Censorship Tuesday, 28 October 2025, 07:35 As reported by Center for Countering Disinformation under the NSDC of Ukraine In 2025, Roskomnadzor blocked more than 1.2 million internet resources – 50% more than the previous year. Such data, published via the Telegram channel of the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, indicate a rapid buildup of technical capabilities for internet censorship. In 2025, Roskomnadzor blocked more than 1.2 million internet resources – 50% more than last year. In its reports, the agency emphasizes blocking phishing sites, command-and-control centers for malware, or anonymous mail servers. However behind these figures lies not only the fight against cybercrime – primarily they indicate the growing technical capabilities of Roskomnadzor for internet censorship, Changes in Legislation and Their Impact New legal norms strengthen control over the online space: now searching for “extremist materials” and advertising VPNs carry fines. Even among users, sanctions may…

Telegram founder Pavel Durov says Russia’s Internet crackdown has pushed ‘digital sovereignty’ further out of reach and driven developers to leave <p>Internet blocks in Russia have only pushed the country further from “digital sovereignty,” Telegram founder Pavel Durov said.<p>

Russia's internet censorship in 2026: VPN crackdowns, mobile shutdowns ... Photo: Getty Images Over the past few months, Russia has rapidly enacted a barrage of measures to build the most comprehensive system of internet censorship the Kremlin has long yearned for—and kept failing to construct. What began with the crude blocking of individual websites, like Mediazona’s, and attempts to shut downTelegramthat famously broke water boilers by knocking out their IP addresses, has evolved into an interlocking apparatus of deep packet inspection (DPI), mass mobile internet shutdowns, enforced state-controlled messaging, systematic restrictions on circumvention tools, and growing pressure on those who use them. It is easy to get lost in the avalanche of daily reports on each individual step, so here is a comprehensive account of how ordinary Russians came to find themselves “living by running from Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi.” The foundation of Russia’s modern censorship regime are TSPUs (Technical Means of Countering Threats), deep packet inspection “boxes” installed on the network of every internet service provider in Russia under the 2019 “Sovereign Internet” law. Unlike earlier blacklist-based a…