Russian parliament approves law on internet control

The state Duma endorsed the rule by an overwhelming majority. The text has to receive the approval of the upper house of parliament before being sanctioned by the president, Vladimir Putin.
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The lower house of the Russian parliament approved a bill on Tuesday that would expand government control over the Internet, raising fears of widespread censorship.

The state Duma endorsed the rule by an overwhelming majority. The text has to receive the approval of the upper house of parliament before being sanctioned by the president, Vladimir Putin.

The law asks internet providers to install equipment to drive Russian Internet traffic through servers in the country. This would increase the power of state agencies to control information, while users would have a harder time avoiding government restrictions and the quality of the connection could be affected.

Supporters of the bill say it is a defensive measure in the event that the United States or other hostile nations cut off Russia's Internet access.The state Duma endorsed the rule by an overwhelming majority. The text has to receive the approval of the upper house of parliament before being sanctioned by the president, Vladimir Putin.
Share
See comments
 Print
The lower house of the Russian parliament approved a bill on Tuesday that would expand government control over the Internet, raising fears of widespread censorship.

The state Duma endorsed the rule by an overwhelming majority. The text has to receive the approval of the upper house of parliament before being sanctioned by the president, Vladimir Putin.

The law asks internet providers to install equipment to drive Russian Internet traffic through servers in the country. This would increase the power of state agencies to control information, while users would have a harder time avoiding government restrictions and the quality of the connection could be affected.

Supporters of the bill say it is a defensive measure in the event that the United States or other hostile nations cut off Russia's Internet access.

Read: Russia: "iron curtain online".