Pro-Kremlin Voices Warn Against Proposed Law Penalizing Access to Extremist Content

A rising number of pro-Kremlin voices are expressing opposition to a proposed legislation that would levy fines for individuals accessing or searching for online content designated as «extremist» by Russian authorities.

The bill, which received preliminary approval in the lower house of the State Duma on Thursday, outlines penalties of up to 5,000 rubles (approximately $64) for those who «knowingly» seek out or view prohibited material. It does not clarify how such actions would be monitored, raising concerns among experts about potential increases in surveillance and the risk of law enforcement misuse.

Yekaterina Mizulina, the leader of the Kremlin-affiliated Safe Internet League, warned that the legislation could have unintended consequences for the police as well as for Kremlin supporters who assist the government in suppressing dissent.

«As part of our mission, we actively track this type of [‘extremist’] content and provide our insights to law enforcement,» Mizulina stated on Telegram.

«What is particularly concerning is that under this proposed law, even officials from the Interior Ministry who oversee such content may be technically violating the law. Additionally, any private citizen who reports, for instance, potential school shooters to the authorities could also face fines,» she noted.

Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of the state-funded RT news organization, also criticized the legislation.

«Dear government, please explain how we are expected to investigate and analyze various extremist groups like FBK if we’re not even allowed to read about them?» Simonyan wrote on Telegram, referring to Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, which was banned in Russia in 2021.

«I hope there will be adjustments,» she added.

Amnesty International, a London-based nonprofit, previously condemned the bill as «vague and excessively broad,» cautioning that it facilitates arbitrary enforcement.

«Once again, Russian authorities are masking their unrelenting suppression of dissent under the guise of fighting ‘extremism,'» said Marie Struthers, the director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty.

«In contemporary Russia, ‘extremist’ materials might encompass anything from literature that advocates for same-sex relationships to social media content by opposition factions,» Struthers remarked.

On Thursday, the Kremlin refrained from commenting on the ongoing debate regarding the bill, although it did recognize that «the topic has evidently generated a significant public response.»

Authorities in Moscow currently maintain a list of approximately 5,500 prohibited «extremist» items, which includes books, religious texts, music, films, and various other forms of media.

Should the legislators approve the bill and President Vladimir Putin enact it, its implementation would commence on September 1.