Online search crackdown fuels Russia's LGBTQ+ censorship

BERLIN - Russian activists say a new law that criminalises online searches for content that has been officially designated as "extremist" is the latest step in the Kremlin's crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights in the digital space.

The law, which came into effect on Sept. 1, imposes fines on people who use search engines for "extremist" content, which has included LGBTQ+ activism since 2024, allowing Vladimir Putin's government to intensify censorship of online content it says threatens "traditional values."

Here is what you need to know.

How is Russia targeting LGBTQ+ people?

In 2013, Russian lawmakers passed a government-sponsored ban on distributing "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships" among minors, which led to activists being arrested and Pride marches banned.

In December 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, Putin signed an amendment to the law, extending the prohibition to all age groups. In 2023, he banned medical and legal transitions for trans people.

In March last year, Russia added what it calls the "international LGBT movement" to a list of extremist and terrorist organisations, in line with a Supreme Court ruling that LGBTQ+ activists should be designated as extremists.

These anti-LGBTQ+ laws have led to the arrests of journalists, lawyers and activists, and many others have left the country. Police have raided gay clubs and LGBTQ+ events, and the crackdown has also spread into the digital space.

How does the new law on online searches work?

The legislation targets people who "deliberately" search for "extremist" material online, including through virtual private networks (VPN) that millions of people across Russia use to bypass censorship and access banned content.

Russian authorities are already able to monitor web-browsing activity through local telecom operators.

The new law also seeks to make using VPNs more difficult, including a ban on advertising these services, fines for VPN resources that do not comply with Russian legislation and making VPN use an "aggravating circumstance" in case of other violations of the legislation.

The Justice Ministry's list of extremist materials stretches to more than 500 pages.

Entities banned for carrying out "extremist activities" include late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Fund, the "international LGBT movement" and U.S. tech giant Meta.

People who search for content deemed extremist could face fines of up to 5,000 rubles ($60), and critics of the law say tougher charges and penalties could follow an initial fine.

The Kremlin has not clarified how authorities will determine whether or not an online search has been made "deliberately."

Digital rights advocates say the law's vague wording could spark a wave of fraud, blackmail and extortion, particularly if the list of "extremist" materials is expanded.

Despite the ban, independent media has reported that internet search patterns have not changed significantly since the law came into force.

What do LGBTQ+ rights advocates say?

Human rights activists say the practical impact of the new law is limited, but its vagueness could allow authorities to implement it broadly and arbitrarily.

"The law may become a pretext for gaining access to search queries if they are made without using a VPN ... and for inspecting personal communication devices," said Ksenia Mikhailova, lawyer at the Coming Out LGBTQ+ group, which was formerly based in Russia but now works in exile.

Many LGBTQ+ Russians are already self-censoring. A study this year found 91% censor themselves on a daily basis, including on social media and dating apps, to avoid blackmail and repression.

Tanya Lokshina, associate director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said that despite a relatively low number of convictions in a country of 146 million, the widening crackdown is spreading fear among LGBTQ+ Russians.

"What the government is trying to do is to erase them from society," Lokshina said.

How else is Russia's crackdown affecting LGBTQ+ content online?

U.S. tech giants Apple and Meta, the language learning app Duolingo and the online retailer Megamarket are among companies hit by the Kremlin's restrictions on LGBTQ+ content. Some have faced fines, while others have changed their services in Russia.

According to HRW, Russian courts issued 101 extremism-related convictions for people who allegedly participated in the "international LGBT movement" or displayed its symbols between January 2024 and June 2025.

Ninety of the convictions were related to online activities, including social media posts, images or user profile information published on platforms such as Russia's social networking service VKontakte, Meta's Instagram or the Chinese-owned video app TikTok.

Some convictions were linked to content displayed on a dating site, a stock photo bank or information authorities identified on Telegram, a messaging app

(Reporting by Enrique Anarte; Editing by Ayla Jean Yackley.)