In Russia, the government has been trying to control what people see and do on the internet for many years. They block websites, spy on users, slow down pages they don\u2019t like, and ban social media that criticizes the government.<\/p>\n
Now, a new law starting September 1 makes things even scarier. For the first time, people in Russia can get into trouble just for searching for certain things online. They can even be fined for using VPNs \u2014 tools that help people access blocked websites. That\u2019s like being punished just for reading something the government doesn\u2019t like.<\/p>\n
The rule says people will be held responsible if they \u201cknowingly\u201d look up or open \u201cextremist\u201d material \u2014 but the law doesn\u2019t clearly say what that means. And there are over 500 pages of things the government calls \u201cextremist,\u201d including websites and groups linked to Alexei Navalny, a well-known critic of President Putin who died earlier this year.<\/p>\n
There are three big problems with this law:<\/p>\n
Too many things are called \u201cextremist.\u201d It includes people and groups that just disagreed with the government.
\nNo one knows how the government will watch what people search. Will internet companies spy on everyone? What about students or reporters doing research?
\nThe law is confusing on purpose. It makes people scared. Many Russians are already deleting apps and leaving certain online groups, even if they\u2019re not doing anything wrong \u2014 just to be safe.<\/p>\n
Experts say this isn\u2019t really about protecting the country\u2019s internet. Russia doesn\u2019t even have the tech or money to control it like China does. Instead, this is more about stopping people from speaking out or organizing against the government.<\/p>\n
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Disclaimer<\/p>\n
Views expressed above are the author’s own.<\/p>\n
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