The use of VPNs in the commission of a crime has been recognized as an aggravating circumstance. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the corresponding law, TASS reports.

The amendments were made to Article 63 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which defines the list of aggravating circumstances.

Now, crimes committed “using software and hardware to access information resources and information and telecommunications networks to which access is restricted” will be punished more severely.

The rule will come into force on September 1.

At the same time, Russian citizens are free to use VPN services for legal purposes, as previously explained by Anton Gorelkin, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy.