Russia Draft Budget Nearly Doubles ASBI Internet Filtering Spend to 20B Rubles
The 2027 proposal raises ASBI funding from 9.87 billion to 19.87 billion rubles, with Roskomnadzor's overall budget up 60%.
Russia's draft 2027 budget would allocate nearly 20 billion rubles (about $235m) to its automated internet filtering system, ASBI, up from a previously planned 9.87 billion rubles in the same year. Overall funding for the state censor Roskomnadzor is set to grow by 60 percent in 2027, according to reports citing the budget proposal.
Total censorship spending is expected to reach 60 billion rubles over the next three years. Roskomnadzor has separately been tasked with reaching a 92 percent efficiency rate in blocking VPNs by 2030.
New fees and hosting rules under discussion
The Ministry of Digital Development is discussing a fee for users who consume more than 50GB of international traffic on 5G networks, according to the same reports.
A legislative package known as "Anti-Fraud 3.0" would ban Russian hosting providers for one year from serving individuals who host VPNs or proxies listed on a Roskomnadzor registry.
The figures were reported by outlets including Verstka, The Moscow Times and Kommersant, as cited by techradar.com.
Russia has previously escalated VPN blocks following State Duma elections, and more than 250 VPN services have already been blocked in the country.
Quick answers
How much is Russia allocating to ASBI in 2027?
The draft budget raises ASBI spending for 2027 from a planned 9.87 billion rubles to 19.87 billion rubles, nearly 20 billion rubles (about $235m).
What is the 'Anti-Fraud 3.0' package?
It is a legislative package that would ban Russian hosting providers for a year from serving individuals who host VPNs or proxies listed on a Roskomnadzor registry.
What is the proposed 5G traffic fee?
The Ministry of Digital Development is discussing a fee for users consuming more than 50GB of international traffic on 5G networks.