Putin signs a law strengthening censorship and internet surveillance

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law on Thursday. Furthermore, providing for the internet research of classified “extremists” content, a text that has aroused concern even among the supporters of the Kremlin and which further accentuates the in progress repression.

This text had caused the rare opposition of sixty parliamentarians. In addition, criticisms, including in circles that support the hunt for power in Russia.

Fines that can go up to 5. 000 rubles (around 55 euros) for people who are looking for “extremist” content, a term which has a very wide definition in Russian legislation online and which may concern both groups considered as terrorists or ultra -nationalist as well as political opponents or religious movements.

The organization of the deceased opponent Alexei Navalny is thus classified “extremist” in Russia. as well as the “LGBT international movement”.

The law also prohibits putin signs law strengthening censorship promoting VPNs, systems notably allowing to circumvent censorship, widely used in Russia.

This legislation had been adopted earlier in July by the Russian Parliament despite the notable opposition of two parliamentary groups.

The opponent Boris Nadejdine. who wanted to challenge Vladimir Putin to the presidential election in March 2024, but whose candidacy had been rejected by the authorities, had then denounced to AFP a law which “will punish the crime of thought as in the novel 1984»From the British writer George Orwell.

Russia drastically restricted freedom of the press. freedom of expression in the Internet since the launch of its offensive in Ukraine in 2022, by focusing more and more on Western platforms like Google, Facebook, YouTube and X.