Alexander Bastrykin

Russia's Top Investigator Proposes AI, VPN and Other Technologies as Aggravating Circumstances in Criminal Code

Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russia's Investigative Committee, has put forward a bill that would treat the use of artificial intelligence, VPN services and other information technologies as an aggravating factor when sentencing offenders. The proposal aims to address the growing role of digital tools in crimes ranging from fraud and data trafficking to terrorism, murder and sexual offences. Current Russian law lacks a universal provision allowing courts to factor in the deployment of such technologies during punishment decisions. Bastrykin argued that embedding specific technologies into dozens of Criminal Code articles would be inefficient because the IT landscape evolves too rapidly for static legal language. Instead, the committee advocates a systemic approach that recognises technology as a distinct aggravating circumstance when it serves as the primary instrument of the crime or significantly amplifies the harm caused. The measure would not criminalise the mere possession or activation of a VPN, smartphone or AI model; it would apply only when these tools materially enable or scale criminal activity. The bill has already been prepared by the Investigative Committee and was outlined in an interview with Interfax.