Can a phone be blocked for viewing?

The Internet is a huge worldwide platform not only for useful information and entertainment content, but also for ubiquitous scammers. The ingenuity of those who trade in extortion and deception knows no bounds. Phishing sites, ad worms and “fake” accounts and groups on social networks have long become “classics” of fraudulent activity. Now, often taking advantage of the gullibility of inexperienced network users, attackers disguise themselves as law enforcement officers. “The browser is blocked by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation,” reads the inscription on the screen of a random visitor to sites with erotic, pornographic and other dubious content. Moreover, the pop-up window does not disappear, does not allow you to close the browser and “demands” payment of a fine of 3 thousand rubles. What does this mean and do law enforcement agencies really have such powers?

Blocking the browser of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: is it possible?

It can be clearly noted right away that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has nothing to do with such “actions.” Viewing erotic or pornographic materials by a private person is not prohibited by law, and therefore is not subject to a fine. Moreover, judging by the information in the pop-up window, money needs to be sent to a certain mobile phone number. The conclusion suggests itself: the fine that supposedly needs to be paid in this way is the most striking refutation of the fact that the browser is blocked by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Nevertheless, it is worth understanding who is behind such frauds.

How does the mvd.ru virus work?

When you go to infected pages, the malicious program is downloaded, installed on your computer and changes the DNS server address. Thus, when trying to go to any other pages or turn off the browser (different versions of the program may act differently), the user will see the same page with the words “Browser blocked by the Ministry of Internal Affairs”, the amount of the fine and the time allotted for payment. When checking your computer with an antivirus, the result is at least surprising - malware “bypasses” saving software very well.

Browser blocked by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation: how to unblock

Often the problem is solved quite simply. If the blocking is expressed only in a pop-up window that does not close, then you can restart the browser using the “Task Manager”. Pressing the Ctrl+Alt+Delete key combination opens a window displaying all processes being processed. You just need to disable browser actions and then start them again. In most cases, when you open it again, the pop-up window will no longer bother you.

Also, restarting the computer often solves the problem. If the virus operates by changing the DNS server, the user will have to change the malicious settings manually. To do this, you need to go to the connection settings and check the entered data. If there is a “preferred” DNS in the parameters, you need to switch the marker to the “Obtain address automatically” position.

Damn, too many official phrases, isn't there?4

In short, you shouldn't use your phone to watch pornography. By doing this, we make it easier for hackers, but it’s not worth it. If you want hot content, it is better to open the laptop lid.

PS Your home laptop. No matter how luxurious and widescreen the monitor in your boss’s office is, you shouldn’t use it to watch porn videos. You read the paragraph above, right? And what is this tab with an orange and black website open in our browser, huh?

Blocking the Ministry of Internal Affairs browser on Android devices

What should I do if a pop-up window – “browser blocked by the Ministry of Internal Affairs” – appears on a tablet or phone with the Android operating system? First of all, you should immediately go to the settings, open the properties of the application, in this case the infected browser, and click “Clear data”. It is also recommended to clear your cookies and device cache. If this does not help, you can use a more radical method - the settings of your device must be reset to factory levels. Different gadgets have their own way of logging into Recovery, so in such a situation it would be advisable to refer to the instructions or the representative office of the manufacturer.

Workaholics and pornoholics3

A data leak can cause serious problems, including dismissal from your job. Judge for yourself: will the boss be happy if he finds out that his employee secretly watches porn at work, neglecting boring pieces of paper?

“Corporate and vicarious liability laws hold employers accountable for the actions of their employees.

History knows many cases where companies have taken the rap for employees accused of sexual harassment or punished for viewing sexual content that violates someone else’s rights,” the report says.

“While companies are not required to police private communications within the team, HR must ensure that no employee is intimidated or harassed.”

“Preventing corporate devices from being used inappropriately, including for viewing pornography or weapons-related and hateful content, will help reduce the risk of litigation.”

Blocking the Ministry of Internal Affairs browser on Apple gadgets

Let’s say a user of an Apple device contacts technical support operators with the question: “The browser has been blocked, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, what should I do?” Agree, by this very action he admits that he visited sites with pornography. Of course, hardly anyone would blame the excited owner of an iPhone or iPad, but not everyone would dare to admit to such Internet surfing. However, there is a way to avoid humiliating dialogues and deal with the problem yourself. If the message “Browser blocked by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation” appears on the gadget’s screen, you should clear the cookies and cache of the device. If this step does not help, you can reset the gadget via iTunes.

In any case, do not forget: there is not the slightest probability that the browser is actually blocked by the Ministry of Internal Affairs - law enforcement agencies do not have any powers to do this. Everything that is displayed in a pop-up window demanding money is the work of scammers who want to profit from inexperienced and naive Internet users. Problems like this can often be resolved by simply rebooting or clearing the cache. There is no point in transferring money to scammers in such cases - the virus will remain on the computer until the user gets rid of it. The best prevention for such situations is to avoid visiting dubious sites with shocking content or pornography.

You are blocked for repeated visits to pornographic sites containing materials prohibited by Russian law, namely pornography with elements of pedophilia, violence and promotion of homosexuality. To remove the blocking, you need to pay a fine of 3,700 Fed. Beeline number: 89608098636. After paying the fine, the unlocking will be removed. In case of non-payment, an operational investigation team will be sent to you for detention. All materials will be transferred to the prosecutor's office to make a decision on initiating a criminal case upon the commission of a crime under Art. 242 of the Criminal Code. The deadline for paying the fine is 6 hours from the date of receipt of the notification. Notification received at 8:10 am. It is legal?

Hello! These are scammers. File a complaint with the prosecutor's office. The complaint is written in any form (in your own words), submitted by mail or delivered in person.

Thanks for the good advice!

After visiting a porn site, I received a notification from the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the text:

They illegally want to get money from you, you don’t have to pay anywhere, contact any computer repairman, he will reinstall the system for you.

These are scammers. Nobody blocked you. And there is no need to contact the prosecutor's office. They will give you a “lecture” there. Do you need it? Restart your computer or turn it off and then on again. That's all.

What is the punishment for viewing porn sites?

The further computer technology develops, the greater the threat increases. As a rule, these are malicious programs, namely computer viruses. Plus, there is such a thing as making money on the Internet, and many webmasters take advantage of this, earning really serious money. One of the areas of activity is website building and further development.

The topics can be anything, since people are interested in almost everything. There are white themes, and there are gray ones, like porn sites. This topic is prohibited and even, to some extent, criminally punishable. Nevertheless, this business is profitable, because webmasters continue to work in this topic, thereby earning fabulous money.

The point is that the owner of the porn site is well aware that the visitor will not want to publicly talk about visiting such sites, even to law enforcement agencies. Taking advantage of this, virtual “businessmen” can easily make money from such individuals, for example, through extortion.

Previously, this method of extortion was effective: web criminals, after a user visited their porn site, introduced a special virus into the computer system. After this, the user, having accessed the browser, sees a rather frightening pop-up window, for example, with a mark from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, saying that attempts were recorded to view prohibited sites, and so on. This is followed by a requirement to pay a fine of 500 rubles or more. In most cases, the criminals left a phone number where the assigned amount of money had to be transferred. To ensure that the user makes the transfer, there is a warning that if payment is not made on time, they will send a task force or some other threats.

This program was later called the “Ministry of Internal Affairs virus”, and it still works. Naturally, an ignorant person begins to panic, because, firstly, he believes in what is written, and secondly, wherever he goes online, he is haunted by this very ominous banner.

The procedure for imposing penalties

A message from the Ministry of Internal Affairs about blocking a phone for viewing prohibited sites is never sent by law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation simply because they do not work that way. The Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation provides for the procedure for imposing penalties for an identified offense:

initiation of a case and conduct of certain proceedings by a court, officials, authorized government agency on the fact of violation, with the establishment of guilt, other noteworthy facts, determination of punishment. The person against whom the proceedings are being conducted can participate in this process and defend their rights;
documenting this process, drawing up a protocol, a resolution on an administrative offense;
the person must be given or sent a copy of the decision, since he has the right to appeal such a document.

Fine for viewing prohibited sites in Russia

In 2017-2018, there are no fines for viewing such sites. Most likely, it won’t, since in any case, the prohibited sites are already included in the Register, so they are simply inaccessible. Even if a site on a similar topic somehow appears on the Internet, it is the provider who will be punished, and not the citizen who accessed this resource.

In fact, it was planned to introduce fines. There have been quite a few bills on this issue since the early 2000s. This is understandable, since there were a lot of projects on the topic of child pornography, extremism, and so on. However, since then the matter has not moved forward, and Internet providers and government agencies are responsible for all this.

If we compare, for example, with European countries, then criminal punishment awaits not only producers and distributors of child porn, but also users who are interested in this topic. And tracking them down is not that difficult. The situation is the same in the United States. In our country, only the distribution and production of such products are criminally punishable.

Site blocking procedure

If a message appears that the computer has been blocked, they ask you to pay a fine to the Ministry of Internal Affairs - these are the actions of scammers. The Ministry of Internal Affairs does not have the authority to block the computers and other personal devices of citizens. But this ministry, following a complaint from interested parties, has limited access to information resources that violate the legislation of the Russian Federation.

The procedure is regulated by Federal Law-149 of July 27, 2006. First, owners are given a notice that they must comply with. If the request to remove certain content is refused, the site is blocked by the Internet provider.

A register of sites containing prohibited information is also being formed. On the website eais.rkn.gov.ru you can see whether a specific resource is included in this register. Thus, if the Ministry of Internal Affairs blocked a site for a cybercrime, access to it cannot be obtained by an ordinary user.

Register of prohibited sites

In 2012, by decree of the state, a special register of prohibited sites was designed to protect citizens from malicious information and programs from the Internet. The automated system works according to a smart algorithm, searching the network for malicious material. If one is detected, both providers and owners of the sites that source this information are immediately notified. If no measures are taken, Registry employees block the site.

Moreover, we are talking not only about pornographic sites, but in general about any sources of extremist information, including terrorism, racial intolerance, political extremism and the like. As for pornographic websites, they are prohibited according to Article 242 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. By percentage:

40% - information about narcotic drugs;
30% - on suicidal topics and topics that threaten life and health;
20% - by calling for extremist movements;
10% - porn sites.

How the virus works

When you go to sites whose pages are infected with a virus, a program developed by the attackers is downloaded, installed on the computer and changes the DNS server. When trying to navigate to other pages or close the browser, the user sees only a page with a request to pay a fine.

The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs virus is a common scam, a fraudulent scheme that can be circumvented on your own or with the help of specialists. Under no circumstances should you pay money to scammers; most often, they are not limited to one amount; in addition, the device affected by the virus will not be completely safe after this.

As a preventive measure, we can advise you not to go to dubious sites, especially when an antivirus warning appears, and to use trusted and reliable resources. In addition, it is worth installing an antivirus program on your device and checking it regularly.

Questions from users

A message appeared that the phone was blocked by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, how to unlock it?

Usually just restarting your phone is enough. If this does not help, you need to go to your browser settings and delete and clear all data, cookies and cache. The procedure may differ depending on the operating system used; you can additionally consult your operator’s support service.

What to do if the Ministry of Internal Affairs blocked your computer?

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation is not vested with such a right; the computer was attacked by a virus. No fines can be imposed in this manner; it does not comply with the procedure established by law.

These are scammers blocking a computer on behalf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Do not give in to threats and pay money; you will not be able to get it back. In addition, the information security of the device in this case is not guaranteed. It is necessary to get rid of the virus by restarting the computer and then scanning with an antivirus program. You may also need to manually change the preferred DNS server in the connection settings and set the marker to “Obtain an address automatically.”