Putin Signs New Measure Tightening FSB Control Over Russian Internet
#Vladimir Putin #FSB #Russia #internet shutdown #censorship #Telegram #WhatsApp #Max (app) #Roskomnadzor #presidential decree #national security #digital rights #Ukraine #drones
📌 Key Takeaways
- President Vladimir Putin signed the FSB‑control law on February 20, 2026.
- The law grants the FSB the power to shut down or restrict internet access at the president’s discretion.
- It removes the requirement to provide a reason and absolves ISPs of liability.
- The decree follows earlier restrictions on WhatsApp and Telegram and supports a state‑backed app called Max.
- Security concerns, such as stopping Ukrainian drones, are cited as justification for tighter control.
- Critics argue the measure expands state censorship and undermines digital rights.
- "Only the president can impose restrictions"—lawyer Sarkis Darbinyan notes.
📖 Full Retelling
President Vladimir Putin signed into law a new measure on February 20, 2026 that gives Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) the authority to shut down or restrict internet services across the country. The law, endorsed by Moscow’s lawmakers earlier this week, allows the president to order Internet service providers—whether cellular or landline—to cut or limit access in any region without providing a reason, and removes liability for the providers.
The measure is part of a broader push by the Russian government to tighten control over online information following a series of regulations aimed at curbing dissent and foreign influence. The new law empowers the FSB to act on presidential directives, effectively giving a single executive figure the power to decide when online communications may be halted. This follows earlier restrictions on popular messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, which have been throttled or blocked to encourage use of a state‑backed app called Max.
Lawmakers and civil‑rights advocates have warned that the decree simplifies the presidential power to impose internet shutdowns without oversight or explanation. "Only the president can impose restrictions," said lawyer and Internet activist Sarkis Darbinyan, adding that presidential decrees are “even simpler than government decrees.”
The move also reflects ongoing security concerns, including challenges to stop Ukrainian drones from entering Russian airspace—a problem that has prompted authorities to clamp down on data‑based navigation systems.
The new regulation removes the administrative burden for providers and could affect anyone using the internet in Russia. Critics argue the law erodes digital freedoms, while state officials justify the measure as essential for national security and misinformation control.
🏷️ Themes
State censorship and control, National security and information warfare, Digital rights and civil liberties, Internet infrastructure regulation, Modern authoritarian governance
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Original Source
News Putin Signs New Measure Tightening FSB Control Over Russian Internet By RFE/RL February 21, 2026 10:13 CET Putin Signs New Measure Tightening FSB Control Over Russian Internet Share Share Print President Vladimir Putin sign into law a new measure giving Russia's main domestic intelligence agency new power to shut down the Internet inside the country. The legislation, signed into law on February 20, was the latest in a series of regulations drastically tightening authorities' ability to restrict news and information inside of Russia. The new measure , which was passed earlier this week by lawmakers, gives the Federal Security Service the power to demand that Internet service providers -- cellular or landline -- turn off or restrict access in cases "established by regulatory legal acts of the President of the Russian Federation." SEE ALSO: Max Cometh: What The Blocking Of WhatsApp, Telegram Means For Millions Of Russians The move allows Putin to personally decide when online communications in the country or a specific region should be turned off, without having to give a reason. It also removes any liability for the providers for doing so. "Only the president can impose restrictions," Sarkis Darbinyan, a lawyer and longtime Internet activist, was quoted as saying . And presidential decrees are "even simpler than government decrees." In recent months, Russian authorities have grappled with ways to stop Ukrainian drones from entering Russian airspace. In many cases , the drones use Russian data signals to fly at targets, in some cases over great distance. Authorities have also clamped down on popular Internet tools, in particular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. Both apps have been throttled drastically amid a government push to get Russians to use a state-backed app called Max. One report said Telegram would be blocked entirely as of April 1. The restrictions on Telegram have prompted pushback from bloggers who closely follow Russia's battlefield movemen...
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