The red button would pause a user’s online operations at banks, government agencies and telecom providers; a green button would lift the restrictions, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko said.
Russia is planning a system that would let people pause online operations if they suspect they are being targeted by scammers. Deputy Prime Minister and government chief of staff Dmitry Grigorenko outlined the proposal in an interview with Vesti’s news service.
He said the red button would block transactions made in a user’s name at banks, government agencies and telecom operators. Grigorenko likened it to an emergency brake that gives a person time to assess what is happening before taking further action.
The green button, as he described it, would reverse the restrictions if the threat is not confirmed. The interview did not specify a launch date, the technical process for connecting all organizations or which transactions would be covered.
Grigorenko also said online crime in Russia fell by a third in the first eight months of 2026. In July, the Interior Ministry reported a 58% decline in crimes involving social networks and messaging apps in the first half of the year, with 98,000 cases registered. Cybersecurity company F6 estimated in June that financial fraud through digital channels had caused losses of more than 600 billion rubles over 18 months.
In early September, Grigorenko had told Vedomosti that a green button would complement a red button on Gosuslugi for reporting fraud. His latest description refers to a broader freeze on online operations; the government has presented it as a plan.