Since the onset of the invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has increasingly hindered Russian citizens’ access to foreign websites, social media, and, more generally, any information that threatens its narrative.

This crackdown is anticipated to intensify as lawmakers have enacted new regulations imposing fines for searching for “extremist” content online and for advertising VPNs. Experts caution that these changes represent one of the most substantial attacks on digital freedoms in contemporary Russian history.

Additionally, Russian officials are considering replacing WhatsApp with a local app named Max.

These initiatives emerge amid widespread mobile internet outages attributed to threats posed by Ukrainian drones affecting large areas of the country.

The Moscow Times delves into the potential future of internet and communication freedoms in Russia.

On Tuesday, the State Duma approved, in its third and final reading, amendments that impose fines for deliberately searching for and accessing “extremist” materials online, including through VPNs. The changes also criminalize the advertising of VPN services.

Previously, Russian law did not penalize users merely for searching online; penalties were strictly for creating or distributing prohibited content. Should the legislation pass through the Federation Council and receive President Vladimir Putin’s signature, it would be enacted on September 1.

Senator Artyom Sheikin, one of the architects of the proposals, stated that the amendments target internet providers and technical intermediaries rather than average users. Under the new law, individuals could face fines of up to 5,000 rubles (about $63) for searching for “extremist” materials.

The proposed amendments have faced backlash not only from pro-Kremlin figures but also from some members within the Duma itself.

Deputy Speaker of the Duma Vladislav Davankov, an MP from the New People party, pointed out that “this marks the first instance in Russia where individuals could be fined not for distributing material, but merely for accessing it — often by mistake.”

Yekaterina Mizulina, leader of the Kremlin-affiliated Safe Internet League and a prominent advocate for online censorship, raised concerns, noting that the new legislation could impede her organization’s operations.

Approximately 30% of the League’s activities involve monitoring extremist content and reporting it to law enforcement, and such actions could be classified as unlawful under the upcoming regulations, Mizulina remarked. She further added that even police personnel might face legal perils for monitoring similar types of content.

Russian authorities are also contemplating a prohibition on WhatsApp, one of the country’s most popular messaging services, which boasts an estimated user base of 100 million. While Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, was labeled an extremist entity and banned in Russia shortly after the invasion, WhatsApp itself was initially exempt.

Anton Gorelkin, the first deputy chair of the State Duma’s Information Policy Committee, suggested last week that WhatsApp “should prepare to exit the Russian market.” He indicated that it is “very probable” the platform will be added to a government list of software from so-called “unfriendly” nations that will face new restrictions.

Last week, Putin directed the government to formulate proposals by September 1 to further limit the use of software, including “communication services,” from countries officially designated as “unfriendly” by Russia, including the U.S.

Two sources close to the presidential administration and a State Duma official informed the exiled news outlet Meduza that blocking WhatsApp is nearly inevitable, with security agencies spearheading the initiative.

“There’s a 99% chance it will occur,” one source connected to the Kremlin told Meduza. “They will instruct us to switch to Max [Russia’s messenger] for all communications with the government or affiliated entities.”

Currently in its testing phase, the new Max messenger is expected to become Russia’s national messaging platform, similar to China’s WeChat, which has faced accusations of monitoring users and sharing data with the government.

In addition to basic messaging, voice, and video calls, Max intends to integrate features such as signing official documents, processing payments, and communicating with educational institutions and government bodies.

Russian Telegram channels have alleged that Max collects user information, including IP addresses and activity logs, and reserves the right to share that data with third parties and state authorities.

Moreover, Max’s chats lack end-to-end encryption, which means its developers can view users’ messages and potentially share them with security services.

In the past week, around 680 bots generated over 2,400 comments criticizing WhatsApp and promoting Max as “a secure alternative messaging app” on VKontakte posts concerning WhatsApp and its impending ban, according to the exiled news source Vyorstka, drawing on data from the Botnadzor (Bot Watch) initiative.

While authorities have yet to reach a final verdict on banning foreign messaging applications, Vyorstka reported that WhatsApp and Telegram have experienced at least four short-term outages across various Russian regions since early July, suggesting these interruptions were deliberate rather than due to technical failures.

Recent weeks have seen mobile internet disruptions across at least 40 Russian regions, as Ukrainian drone strikes in Russian territories have increased, according to the independent media outlet Govorit NeMoskva.

Although the most significant disruptions occurred during Victory Day in May and Russia Day in June, individuals have also reported internet issues on ordinary days.

Some analysts suggest that these shutdowns are not solely a defense against drone threats but may also serve as experimental measures to promote the “sovereignization” of Russia’s internet.

Dmitry Zair-Bek, leader of the human rights organization Perviy Otdel, noted that this could clarify the mobile internet interruption in the Sverdlovsk region, which has not faced any Ukrainian attacks thus far.