In the summer of 2025, a new wave of repressive legislation came into force in Russia, marking a dangerous turning point in the state’s control over the internet. Now, not only the distribution of information but even searching for content labeled as “extremist” can be considered a criminal offense. At the same time, the authorities have begun to complicate the already difficult use of VPNs — the last remaining tool for bypassing censorship and maintaining online privacy.
According to the digital rights organization RosKomSvoboda, Russia is now among the countries with the lowest level of internet freedom — trailing only behind China, Iran, and Myanmar. Yet, comparing Russia to China is misleading. While China’s internet was state-controlled from the outset, Russia had decades of relative openness: users enjoyed access to global services, low prices, and high-speed connections.
It took over a decade for the Kremlin to gain control over Russia’s tech giants, such as VKontakte and Yandex, effectively nationalizing them. Gradually, the authorities introduced deep packet inspection (DPI) technology, enabling site blocking and more efficient censorship. But until 2020, the system could still be bypassed with VPNs.
The “Sovereign Internet” Law and War as a Catalyst for Repression
Everything changed with the adoption of the so-called “sovereign internet” law, which came into effect in 2020. It introduced centralized control over internet traffic, protocol restrictions, and IP-level blocking — all without the need for cooperation from internet service providers. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin tightened its grip even further. According to RosKomSvoboda, more than 25,000 websites have been blocked since then — nearly all for war-related censorship reasons.
This pressure inevitably led to a surge in the use of circumvention tools. Today, an estimated 40% of Russian internet users rely on VPNs — one of the highest rates globally.
Even the authorities’ attempts to throttle YouTube in 2024 (officially blamed on “outdated server infrastructure” rather than deliberate interference) failed to achieve their goal: YouTube remains the most popular platform for entertainment and political content in the country. The audience for independent bloggers, activists, and anti-war channels has barely declined.
Fines for Search Queries, Automated Repression, and Digital Isolation
And now, a new phase has begun. In July 2025, laws were passed that effectively make it illegal to view prohibited content. Experts say people can now be fined not just for publishing banned material but simply for searching for it. What qualifies as “extremism” is left intentionally vague — it could mean the late Alexei Navalny’s team, the LGBT+ community, Jehovah’s Witnesses, or even Instagram.
At this stage, penalties are limited to small fines. But all signs point to the likelihood that in the next round of legislative updates (possibly as early as 2026), punishments will become harsher and repeat “offenses” may lead to criminal prosecution. Authorities may also start applying these laws opportunistically — at border checks or inside police stations. Refusing to unlock your phone could be viewed as an admission of guilt: “you must be hiding something illegal.”
Perhaps the most alarming scenario is the mass automation of penalties. Russian authorities already have relevant experience: during the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens were fined automatically for breaking self-isolation rules. Today, the infrastructure needed for such digital repression is already in place:
- the SORM system (telecom surveillance);
- the 2016 “Yarovaya law” (mandatory metadata and message storage);
- and AI systems capable of analyzing video and audio in real time using keyword detection.
The best way for Russian users to protect themselves now, as noted by The Financial Times, is to use a VPN with a kill switch feature, which cuts off the internet connection if data leaks, preventing it from being captured by systems like SORM. Also, users are advised to avoid Russian services such as Yandex and VK altogether.
However, VPN use is becoming increasingly difficult: advertising such services is banned, and while personal use is technically allowed, those who use VPNs to post prohibited content — especially anti-war messages — risk facing serious consequences.
Already, many Russian users are unsubscribing en masse from “suspicious” channels and bloggers, fearing legal retaliation. This is likely to drive further digital migration to state-controlled platforms such as VK’s messenger Max, where surveillance and censorship can be absolute.
The speed at which Russia has shifted from authoritarian cyber control to a totalitarian model is startling. The goal is no longer merely to limit freedom of speech. As The Financial Times emphasizes, the Kremlin now seeks to control how people access information and communicate with one another.
This article was prepared based on materials published by The Financial Times. The author does not claim authorship of the original text but presents their interpretation of the content for informational purposes.
The original article can be found at the following link: The Financial Times.
All rights to the original text belong to The Financial Times.
