Russia tightens digital laws with new ad bans and online restrictions

Many of the restrictions introduced into Russian legislation during the "special military operation" could be reviewed or lifted after its conclusion, though the process will not be instantaneous, Senator Andrey Klishas, chair of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building, told RBK in an interview.

According to the lawmaker, each legal provision will be evaluated individually: some may remain relevant and stay in force for years to come, while others that have lost their practical significance will be promptly removed from the legal framework.

"Everything is possible if they lose their relevance. Many norms are only relevant for a certain time. Yes, some become outdated, some stop being relevant, and others may seem unjust to society over time—which is why legislation can change, and it changes constantly," the Federation Council representative emphasized.

Klishas drew parallels with foreign countries, citing the United States, where, in his view, some states enforce "rules that are almost laughable to repeat." He argued that America has "some of the most absurd restrictions."

Following the start of the special military operation, Russia amended its laws concerning information dissemination and mobile communications. In March 2022, criminal liability was introduced for spreading "fake news" about the military, discrediting the armed forces, and calling for sanctions against Russia. Administrative penalties were also imposed for discrediting the army. In 2025, punishments for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces and advocating sanctions were further tightened.

Additionally, on March 21, 2022, a Moscow court ruled that Meta was an extremist organization and banned its operations in Russia. The same prohibition applied to its social networks, Facebook and Instagram (both platforms remain blocked in Russia, with Meta designated an extremist organization). As of September 1, 2025, a law came into force banning advertisements on platforms owned by extremist or "undesirable" organizations, as well as on websites subject to access restrictions. Beyond Facebook and Instagram, the law also affects YouTube and Telegram, which Roskomnadzor has blocked.

On February 21, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law requiring telecom operators to cut off services at the FSB's request. Shortly afterward, in March, Muscovites in some districts experienced mobile internet outages. The Kremlin stated that security services were taking "necessary measures to neutralize various threats."

On March 30, media outlets reported on the Russian Digital Development Ministry's plans to introduce further restrictions affecting access to Apple services and VPN providers. RBK, citing sources, wrote that Russia's "Big Four" mobile operators had received instructions from the ministry to disable Apple ID balance top-ups via mobile accounts starting April 1. That same day, Forbes, also citing sources, reported that the ministry was considering administrative penalties for VPN use. Additionally, discussions were underway about imposing fees for mobile data usage exceeding 15 GB of international traffic per month.

In the evening of March 30, Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadaev confirmed that the ministry aimed to reduce VPN usage in Russia but did not support introducing fines for it.