“Like” As Evidence: How russia Punishes for Social Media Activity

Since December 2025, Article 13.53 of the code of administrative offenses of the rf has been in effect, imposing liability for searching for “knowingly extremist content”. Now, simply searching for something in a browser is enough for a police report to be drawn up.

In practice, this is reinforced by mass phone checks. When inspecting documents, the police demand that the device be unlocked and review the gallery, Telegram, and browser history. This is already a common procedure at the border, and now in the metro (underground railway – Transl.) as well. Searching, subscribing, or viewing can be interpreted as “interest in extremism” or even “dissemination”. Any “suspicious content” found is used to open a case or exert pressure.

The formal limits of such checks are blurred. Any attempt to challenge siloviki’s actions may result in violence or new charges. In a system where a single denunciation carries more weight than evidence, this is sufficient.

Since 2010, russian “law enforcers” have opened more than 30,000 criminal and administrative cases for posts, reposts, and “likes” on social media. Almost 80% of administrative and 46% of criminal proceedings are related to vkontakte. A quarter of criminal cases concern messages on Telegram. The main articles are “extremism” (articles 280 and 282 of the criminal code of the rf), “discrediting the army” (articles 20.3.3 of the code of administrative offenses of the rf and 280.3 of the criminal code of the rf), and “fakes” about the army (article 207.3 of the criminal code of the rf).

Anything can be grounds for prosecution: a repost, a saved image, a meme, or even a “like”. People are persecuted for posts made years ago and for deleted posts.

Often, cases begin not with monitoring, but with denunciation from colleagues, neighbors, or acquaintances with screenshots of private correspondence. Sometimes the reason is a personal conflict, and the accusation is based on the principle of “word against word”.

Even without public statements, a person can be accused of participating in an “extremist community”. Subscribing to an “undesirable” channel, participating in a closed chat, or forwarding a message is enough.