Russian President Vladimir Putin put his signature to a law that fines internet users for searching content deemed “extremist” by authorities.
The law introduces fines of up to 5,000 rubles ($64) on anyone found to have deliberately searched for, or gained access to, material listed as “extremist materials.” More than 5,000 entries are on the official list, including songs praising Ukraine, blog posts by feminist rock band Pussy Riot, and websites critical of Putin.
Lawmakers in the lower house, the State Duma, backed the bill earlier this month despite rare opposition from two parliamentary groups.
Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin, who organised a protest against the bill, said it was like “something out of 1984”—a reference to George Orwell’s novel about a totalitarian superstate.
“This law punishes thought crimes,” he said earlier.
The law also bans advertising for virtual private networks (VPNs) and imposes fines for transferring SIM cards to another person.
Russia has blocked access to dozens of Western sites, including Facebook and Instagram. However, many Russian users continue to access these banned websites using VPN services that allow them to bypass state restrictions.
