Story perspectives

Putin Criminalizes Online Searches, Bans Platforms, Promotes VK Messenger

6/22/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Vladimir Putin ordered a crackdown expanding censorship with a law that criminalizes online searches for “extremist” material.
The law may punish searches for LGBTQ+ content, opposition groups, and Alexei Navalny’s memoir, labeled extremist last week.
Authorities have blocked YouTube, Twitter and threatened WhatsApp while promoting VK’s messenger MAX, which logged over 2 million users by July and will be preinstalled on all Russian phones with data subject to government requests.

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Story summary

President Vladimir Putin ordered a crackdown expanding censorship with a law that criminalizes online searches for “extremist” material.
The law may punish searches for LGBTQ+ content, opposition groups, and Alexei Navalny’s memoir, labeled extremist last week.
Authorities have blocked YouTube, Twitter and threatened WhatsApp while promoting VK’s messenger MAX, which logged over 2 million users by July and will be preinstalled on all Russian phones with data subject to government requests.