The State Duma is not working on a legislative initiative to restrict the use of VPN services when using the social networks Instagram and Facebook blocked in Russia (owned by the American company Meta, which is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia), said Alexander, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications Khinshtein.
“I don’t know about such initiatives. We did not work them out, ”Khinshtein emphasized (quote from Interfax). The MP also called the introduction of liability for the use of VPN unpromising. At the same time, on March 15, he announced that Roskomnadzor intends to continue work on blocking VPN services in Russia. More than 20 such services have already been blocked.
Senator Andrei Klishas told RIA Novosti that he admits the possibility of introducing a ban on VPN services, but even in this case, the responsibility of citizens for using VPN services will not be introduced.
The lawsuit to recognize Meta as an extremist organization was filed by the Prosecutor General’s Office on March 11. It came as a reaction to the company’s plans to allow users to publish messages calling for violence against Russian citizens, and in particular against the Russian military. These decisions became known from a Reuters report on March 10.
The court recognized the company as extremist and banned its activities in Russia. The WhatsApp messenger, which is also part of Meta, is not affected by the ban. The prosecutor at the meeting of the Tverskoy Court of Moscow, which considered the Meta case, said that the use of Facebook and Instagram in Russia cannot be recognized as extremism, so Russians will not be punished for it.
Roskomnadzor previously announced that Russian media should not display the Meta logos. They must also label the company as an organization banned in Russia. Responsibility for the lack of labeling, according to Roskomnadzor, will come after Meta is included in the list of extremist organizations.