Russia Tightens its “Foreign Agent” Restrictions

The new restrictions limit publication of military information (Wikimedia Commons).

Russia expanded its regulations concerning its foreign agent classifications on September 30. The foreign agent law, first adopted in 2012, has since been updated by the Federal Security Service (FSB)  to include regulations concerning both the military and the Roscosmos, the Russian space agency.

The FSB’s new foreign agent regulations list sixty topics, which, despite being unclassified, are considered potential threats to Russia’s security. 

News organizations and individuals, including Russian citizens, can be labeled as “foreign agents” for reporting on topics such as military crimes or discussing sensitive military topics in international publications.

Since December, the law has expanded, allowing individual citizens and activist groups to be designated as “foreign agents” for engaging in domestic politics while receiving international funding.

These laws have drawn severe criticism from foreign journalists and governments who claim that such regulations allow for unnecessary censorship. “Russia continues to use its law to silence critics and harass independent media,” wrote the U.S. Embassy in Georgia.

Multiple media outlets in Russia have appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, demanding that he cut back on what they see as direct opposition to independent journalism.

At present, the Russian Ministry of Justice lists eighty-eight news outlets as “foreign mass media[s] performing the functions of a foreign agent.”

Russian Upper House Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, defended the law, claiming that it did not deviate from standard international practice and that groups affected by the law would not face discrimination.

"People should know that the organizations use foreign donations, the reports should be transparent. They should report how much funds they have received, from which countries, what they spent them on. [They should be] open and transparent to the public. Meanwhile, there is no discrimination towards such organizations or mass media," Matviyenko said.

However, several news outlets have shut down due to their foreign agent designation, as some Russian advertisers associate this status with spying or treason.

If organizations fail to apply for foreign agent status, they often face fines or even prison terms. Those designated as foreign agents are then required by law to submit quarterly financial reports, labeling everything they publish with their foreign agent status.

Sergey Smirnov, the editor-in-chief of Russian news outlet Mediazona, is a registered foreign agent; he is required to attach a notice of his status to each of his tweets. “THIS MESSAGE (MATERIAL) CREATED AND (OR) DISTRIBUTED BY A FOREIGN MASS MEDIA PERFORMING THE FUNCTIONS OF A FOREIGN AGENT, AND (OR) A RUSSIAN LEGAL OFFICER,” the message reads.

In a Telegram post, Smirnov described the law as a “deeply discriminatory measure.”