{"id":274083,"date":"2025-07-19T07:00:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T07:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/274083\/"},"modified":"2025-07-19T07:00:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T07:00:16","slug":"the-crime-of-reading-a-new-russian-law-will-ban-not-just-posting-extremist-content-but-simply-searching-for-and-accessing-it-meduza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/274083\/","title":{"rendered":"The crime of reading A new Russian law will ban not just posting \u2018extremist\u2019 content but simply searching for and accessing it \u2014 Meduza"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">The Russian government has come up\u00a0with a\u00a0new misdemeanor offense for citizens: \u201cdeliberately seeking out and accessing extremist materials.\u201d Once again, lawmakers are using a\u00a0familiar tactic honed through <a href=\"https:\/\/meduza.io\/cards\/gosduma-predlagaet-davat-do-15-let-za-rasprostranenie-feykov-o-deystviyah-rossiyskih-voennyh-i-chto-zhe-u-nas-schitaetsya-feykom\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">other<\/a> repressive laws:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ListBlock-module_root__dqomP  ListBlock-module_ul__bgHlv\" data-testid=\"list-block\">\n<li>First, they take a\u00a0bill that has already passed its first reading (in\u00a0this case, <a href=\"https:\/\/sozd.duma.gov.ru\/bill\/755710-8\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">one on<\/a> \u201ctoughening administrative penalties for certain violations in\u00a0the field of\u00a0transport and logistics\u201d)<\/li>\n<li>Then, they add amendments before the second reading that radically change the bill\u2019s\u00a0original intent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2<\/p>\n<p>Why do\u00a0they use this approach? Can\u2019t\u00a0they pass whatever bill they want anyway?<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">This approach lets lawmakers fast-track a\u00a0bill\u2019s\u00a0passage and drastically cut down the time for public debate. It\u00a0also spares them from having to\u00a0explain the initiative at\u00a0all \u2014 after all, an\u00a0explanatory note is\u00a0only published when a\u00a0bill is\u00a0first introduced in\u00a0the State Duma.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">Lawmakers approved the new provision on\u00a0\u201cdeliberately seeking out and accessing extremist materials\u201d in\u00a0the bill\u2019s\u00a0second reading on\u00a0July 17.<\/p>\n<p>3<\/p>\n<p>What counts as\u00a0\u2018extremist materials?\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">The answer isn\u2019t\u00a0so\u00a0simple. The new Administrative Code article lays out two ways to\u00a0determine what qualifies.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ListBlock-module_root__dqomP  ListBlock-module_ul__bgHlv\" data-testid=\"list-block\">\n<li>The first is\u00a0self-explanatory: a\u00a0piece of\u00a0content is\u00a0considered \u201cextremist\u201d if\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0included in\u00a0the public <a href=\"https:\/\/minjust.gov.ru\/ru\/extremist-materials\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">federal list of\u00a0extremist materials<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>The second opens the door to\u00a0broad and arbitrary enforcement. In\u00a0this case, the authors of\u00a0the amendment refer to\u00a0the definition from the federal law \u201cOn\u00a0Countering Extremist Activity.\u201d This includes any documents or\u00a0information that \u201ccall for extremist activity or\u00a0justify or\u00a0legitimize the need for such activity.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">Under Russian law, the definition of\u00a0extremist activity is\u00a0extremely broad. It\u00a0covers everything from \u201cterrorist activity\u201d to\u00a0the use of\u00a0symbols or\u00a0branding linked to\u00a0organizations labeled \u201cextremist\u201d in\u00a0Russia \u2014\u00a0such as\u00a0Alexey Navalny\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/meduza.io\/en\/feature\/2021\/06\/10\/hundreds-of-thousands-of-extremists\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Anti-Corruption Foundation<\/a> and the non-existent <a href=\"https:\/\/meduza.io\/en\/cards\/russia-has-banned-the-so-called-international-lgbt-movement\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cinternational LGBT movement.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>4<\/p>\n<p>Is Meduza\u2019s\u00a0reporting considered \u2018extremist\u2019 content?<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">No. In\u00a0Russia, Meduza is\u00a0labeled a\u00a0\u201cforeign agent\u201d and an\u00a0\u201cundesirable organization.\u201d That\u2019s\u00a0unpleasant and carries its own risks (which is\u00a0why, for example, we\u00a0no\u00a0longer <a href=\"https:\/\/support.meduza.io\/en?utm_source=meduza_en&amp;utm_medium=intext&amp;utm_campaign=240225\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">accept donations<\/a> from inside Russia and have no\u00a0staff based there). But even under Russian law, simply searching for and reading our articles is\u00a0not currently a\u00a0crime.<\/p>\n<p>5<\/p>\n<p>What about other independent media outlets? Have any of\u00a0them been labeled \u2018extremist?\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">Strangely enough, not yet \u2014\u00a0aside from Limonka, a\u00a0now-defunct newspaper the Russian authorities <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kommersant.ru\/doc\/333962\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">banned<\/a> by\u00a0the Russian authorities early in\u00a0Vladimir Putin\u2019s\u00a0presidency. But of\u00a0course, there\u2019s\u00a0nothing stopping the government from starting to\u00a0designate media outlets as\u00a0\u201cextremist,\u201d which would effectively make it\u00a0illegal to\u00a0read them. This is\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0known as\u00a0the criminalization of\u00a0reading \u2014 and this new bill is\u00a0a\u00a0step in\u00a0that direction.<\/p>\n<p>6<\/p>\n<p>So where exactly is\u00a0it\u00a0now illegal to\u00a0search for \u2018extremist\u2019 content? Just online?<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">For now, yes \u2014 though it\u2019s\u00a0unclear what might come next. The law specifically states that a\u00a0violation only applies to\u00a0searches for \u201cextremist\u201d content specifically on\u00a0the Internet.<\/p>\n<p>7<\/p>\n<p>Will people really be\u00a0punished just for searching?<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">It\u2019s\u00a0hard to\u00a0say for sure, but it\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0seem\u00a0so. To\u00a0be\u00a0held liable, a\u00a0person will likely have to\u00a0do\u00a0two things: search for the banned content and access it\u00a0(for example, by\u00a0clicking a\u00a0link).<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">In\u00a0other articles of\u00a0the Administrative Code, when any one of\u00a0several actions is\u00a0enough to\u00a0constitute a\u00a0violation, the word \u201cor\u201d is\u00a0used. For example:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ListBlock-module_root__dqomP  ListBlock-module_ul__bgHlv\" data-testid=\"list-block\">\n<li>Article 5.12: Producing, distributing, or\u00a0publishing campaign materials in\u00a0violation of\u00a0election and referendum laws<\/li>\n<li>Article 7.17: Destroying or\u00a0damaging someone else\u2019s\u00a0property<\/li>\n<li>Article 8.5: Concealing or\u00a0falsifying environmental information<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">But the new article, 13.53, begins with the phrase: \u201cdeliberately seeking out extremist materials and accessing them.\u201d The phrase in\u00a0the bill\u2019s\u00a0original version was even more straightforward: \u201cseeking out and accessing extremist materials.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>8<\/p>\n<p>So does that mean pro-Kremlin activists who search for \u2018extremist\u2019 content to\u00a0report others could be\u00a0breaking the law too?<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">Technically, yes. The new article doesn\u2019t\u00a0specify any exceptions based on\u00a0a\u00a0person\u2019s\u00a0motive for seeking out \u201cextremist\u201d materials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">It\u2019s\u00a0unclear whether activists who report others for offenses related to\u00a0banned materials will be\u00a0charged themselves \u2014\u00a0but they\u2019re\u00a0already getting nervous. For instance, Yekaterina Mizulina, head of\u00a0the censorship lobbying group Safe Internet League, <a href=\"https:\/\/meduza.io\/news\/2025\/07\/16\/ekaterina-mizulina-raskritikovala-ideyu-shtrafov-za-poisk-ekstremistskih-materialov-v-internete-potomu-chto-eto-pomeshaet-pisat-donosy\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">criticized<\/a> the amendment and said her organization would have to\u00a0stop monitoring \u201cextremist communities\u201d and passing information about them to\u00a0Russia\u2019s\u00a0Interior Ministry.<\/p>\n<p>9<\/p>\n<p>What will the penalty be?<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">Each offense will carry an\u00a0administrative fine of\u00a03,000\u20135,000 rubles ($33\u2013$55).<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">For repeat offenses, there\u2019s\u00a0currently no\u00a0steep increase in\u00a0the fine or\u00a0any criminal charges. But it\u2019s\u00a0worth stressing that this could change in\u00a0the future.<\/p>\n<p>10<\/p>\n<p>Who\u2019s\u00a0responsible for catching offenders?<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">Police officers and FSB agents will be\u00a0responsible for filing misdemeanor violation reports. <\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">However, police can only issue a\u00a0report if\u00a0they directly find clear signs of\u00a0an\u00a0offense \u2014\u00a0for example, if\u00a0an\u00a0officer personally discovers \u201cextremist\u201d search queries or\u00a0visits to\u00a0\u201cextremist\u201d pages in\u00a0your phone or\u00a0computer\u2019s\u00a0browser history. FSB agents won\u2019t\u00a0have that limitation. They\u2019ll\u00a0have the authority to\u00a0gather such information remotely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">But in\u00a0any case, it\u00a0will be\u00a0the courts that review these cases and decide on\u00a0any punishments.<\/p>\n<p>11<\/p>\n<p>Wait \u2014\u00a0what does \u2018remotely\u2019 mean?<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">The FSB can use data from information systems they have access to\u00a0in\u00a0order to\u00a0hunt for offenders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">For example, thanks to\u00a0close cooperation with the Russian social media service VK\u00a0(and several other so-called \u201cinformation distribution organizers\u201d), security agents can see who searched for banned content on\u00a0social media and then clicked links or\u00a0downloaded related files.<\/p>\n<p>12<\/p>\n<p>If I\u2019m\u00a0in\u00a0Russia, is\u00a0there any way to\u00a0protect myself from this all-seeing eye?<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">At\u00a0the moment, we\u00a0can only offer some general advice.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ListBlock-module_root__dqomP  ListBlock-module_ul__bgHlv\" data-testid=\"list-block\">\n<li>Always use a\u00a0VPN to\u00a0make it\u00a0harder for the authorities to\u00a0track the sites you visit.<\/li>\n<li>Try to\u00a0use search engines that don\u2019t\u00a0cooperate with the Russian authorities,\u00a0or\u00a0\u2014 better yet \u2014 ones that don\u2019t\u00a0collect any user data at\u00a0all (like DuckDuckGo).<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t\u00a0save your browsing history, or\u00a0clear it\u00a0regularly.<\/li>\n<li>Keep your phones and computers protected from unauthorized access.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">It\u2019s\u00a0also worth looking at\u00a0what happened in\u00a0Belarus for signs of\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0coming to\u00a0Russia.<\/p>\n<p>13<\/p>\n<p>What does Belarus have to\u00a0do\u00a0with this?<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__7aRnT \">In\u00a0Belarus, the \u201ccriminalization of\u00a0reading\u201d is\u00a0widespread and has long been applied to\u00a0independent media. Aliaksan Pushkina, communications director at\u00a0the independent outlet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zerkalo.io\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zerkalo<\/a>, explained how it\u00a0works as\u00a0follows:<\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0Belarus, you can be\u00a0arrested simply for reading the \u201cwrong\u201d news. This isn\u2019t\u00a0an\u00a0exaggeration. Over the past three or\u00a0four years, amid the authorities\u2019 media crackdown and the regime\u2019s\u00a0paranoia, persecution for consuming information has become the norm.<\/p>\n<p>All it\u00a0takes is\u00a0being subscribed to\u00a0a\u00a0Telegram channel that the authorities have added to\u00a0the <a href=\"http:\/\/mininform.gov.by\/documents\/respublikanskiy-spisok-ekstremistskikh-materialov\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">list of\u00a0\u201cextremist materials.\u201d<\/a> Or\u00a0saving a\u00a0screenshot of\u00a0a\u00a0post. Or\u00a0forwarding news to\u00a0a\u00a0friend. That\u2019s\u00a0enough to\u00a0get you arrested. Or, sometimes, even jailed.<\/p>\n<p>At\u00a0first, the repressions targeted only authors and editorial teams. Then they extended to\u00a0readers who shared content. Now, it\u00a0can be\u00a0anyone who has such content on\u00a0their phone \u2014\u00a0even without any evidence they shared\u00a0it. This has become a\u00a0separate form of\u00a0control: the reader is\u00a0already a\u00a0suspect.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s\u00a0not just media outlets that are labeled \u201cextremist\u201d \u2014\u00a0it\u00a0can be\u00a0a\u00a0person\u2019s\u00a0personal page (for example, the legendary Belarusian basketball player Katsiaryna Snytsina), a\u00a0book, or\u00a0a\u00a0TikTok account. Practically anything. Officially, the list of\u00a0extremist materials now includes more than 7,000 items. Many are completely ordinary. Nobody knows when the next account will be\u00a0added. Users aren\u2019t\u00a0notified.<\/p>\n<p>Courts handle these cases in\u00a0minutes. A\u00a0screenshot is\u00a0evidence. A\u00a0subscription is\u00a0grounds for suspicion. There\u2019s\u00a0no\u00a0presumption of\u00a0innocence. Having a\u00a0VPN means \u201cyou\u2019re\u00a0hiding something.\u201d There have already been convictions for watching a\u00a0video, for a\u00a0comment in\u00a0a\u00a0chat, or\u00a0for a\u00a0saved story.<\/p>\n<p>How does this control work? Through raids, random checks, and phone searches on\u00a0the street. Detainees are asked to\u00a0unlock their devices \u2014\u00a0and their subscriptions, likes, and browser history are inspected. Informants play a\u00a0role too: in\u00a0an\u00a0atmosphere of\u00a0fear, people turn on\u00a0each other. Sometimes in\u00a0hopes of\u00a0saving themselves.<\/p>\n<p>We\u00a0see a\u00a0new culture of\u00a0digital self-protection emerging. People read content through the Tor browser, use VPNs, store information on\u00a0separate devices. They encrypt their phones. Delete their chats. Open news sites in\u00a0incognito mode. This isn\u2019t\u00a0just information hygiene \u2014 it\u2019s\u00a0a\u00a0survival strategy.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t\u00a0abstract fear. If\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0caught with content from an\u00a0\u201cextremist group\u201d (there are also \u201cextremist materials\u201d \u2014 the difference is\u00a0in\u00a0the severity of\u00a0potential punishment), the best-case scenario is\u00a0a\u00a0fine of\u00a0several hundred euros. You might be\u00a0held in\u00a0a\u00a0detention center for up\u00a0to\u00a024 hours. Or\u00a0face criminal charges \u2014\u00a0with sentences of\u00a0up\u00a0to\u00a0seven years behind bars. For financing (read: donations), you can get\u00a0up\u00a0to\u00a0eight years. In\u00a0Belarus today, people are prosecuted for screenshots, likes, or\u00a0for having once been in\u00a0the \u201cwrong\u201d chat group. These cases number in\u00a0the thousands.<\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0these circumstances, simply subscribing to\u00a0independent sources, reading the news, or\u00a0trying to\u00a0stay informed is\u00a0already an\u00a0act of\u00a0resistance. Not out of\u00a0heroism \u2014 but just to\u00a0remain a\u00a0person who wants to\u00a0understand the world they live in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Russian government has come up\u00a0with a\u00a0new misdemeanor offense for citizens: \u201cdeliberately seeking out and accessing extremist materials.\u201d&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":274084,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7655],"tags":[332,7888,7883,7886,7875,7868,7880,7870,7881,7887,7876,7864,7871,7865,7873,7874,7866,7869,7867,7885,7879,7872,7884,7882,7878,7877],"class_list":{"0":"post-274083","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-russia","8":"tag-russia","9":"tag-7888","10":"tag-7883","11":"tag-7886","12":"tag-7875","13":"tag-7868","14":"tag-7880","15":"tag-7870","16":"tag-7881","17":"tag-7887","18":"tag-7876","19":"tag-7864","20":"tag-7871","21":"tag-7865","22":"tag-7873","23":"tag-7874","24":"tag-7866","25":"tag-7869","26":"tag-7867","27":"tag-7885","28":"tag-7879","29":"tag-7872","30":"tag-7884","31":"tag-7882","32":"tag-7878","33":"tag-7877"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114878613113136972","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=274083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274083\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/274084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=274083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=274083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=274083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}