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1 October 2014

Edward Snowden’s Russia Erecting Digital Iron Curtain: ‘Speeds Up Bid To Tighten Grip On Web’


Edward Snowden’s Russia Erecting Digital Iron Curtain: “Speeds Up Bid To Tighten Grip On Web” 

Paul Sonne, and Olga Razumovskaya, writing in this morning’s (Sept. 25, 2014) Wall Street Journal, notes that the Russian Duma passed legislation yesterday (Wednesday), designed “to speed up measures to tighten control over foreign Internet companies such as Google, Twitter, and FaceBook — raising concerns over state pressure on social networks that have become one of the country’s few remaining spaces [outlets] for dissent.” The new law moves up the deadline — from January 1, 2016, to the new date of January 1, 2015 — requiring foreign Internet companies to store the personal data of users from Russia, and within Russia’s territorial borders. Mr. Sonne and Ms. Razumoyskaya write that the acceleration of this deadline “would create a near-impossible challenge for U.S.-based Internet firms –that have millions of Russian users; but, generally store [this] data outside Russia.” The bill is expected to become law well before the end of this year.

Russian authorities are attempting to portray this acceleration as a prudent measure to protect against foreign threats and U.S. spying; but, rights advocates and social media users claim the “Kremlin is pursuing the measure as part of a broader drive to curtail freedom of information; and, intensify scrutiny of Internet activity,” according to the Wall Street Journal .

Separate — but related legislation — is also being pursued that would limit foreign firms to 20 percent ownership of media outlets, a move that risks curbing press freedoms in a country already dominated by state-controlled media, the paper added. 

Yevgeny Fyodorov, a Duma Deputy from the ruling United Russia Party, and co-author of the bill that passed Wednesday, “warned this month that the Internet was an instrument of what he described as “orange interventions,” or Western-backed anti-government uprisings. “That’s where the censorship and revision of the events taking place in Russia come from.” Mr. Fyodorov said in an interview earlier this month with the Russian newspaper – Izvestia — which is strongly controlled by Russia’s ruling oligarchs. Mr. Fyodorov added that “all the information stored there and used against Russia. To avoid this; and, protect the country, we have to take these objects under national control,” — referring to the foreign firms’ storage servers. 

Mr. Sonne, and Ms. Razumoyskaya add that “Russian lawmakers acknowledge that it would be near impossible for foreign companies such as Google to build their own data-storage centers in Russia in just over [the] three months [remaining in 2014].” “But, if a company wants to operate on the territory of the Russian Federation, there are a wide-range of rental opportunities,” said Alexander Yushchenko, a Communist Party Deputy in the Duma, and co-author of the bill.

Karen Kazaryan, Chief Analyst at the Russian Association for Electronic Communications, a Russian trade body, described the law as impossible to implement in its current form. He added it would be difficult for global Internet companies to track which personal data is coming from Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported, “Foreign companies will continue to exercise a wait-and-see approach to this law because it is unenforceable,” Mr. Kazaryan said. He predicted that foreign Internet firms would buy some server space in Russia — to save face; but, avoid moving any main storage facilities.”

Kremlin’s Internet Walls Will Rival, Maybe Exceed China’s

Victor Davidoff, writing in the July 6, 2014, Moscow Times, notes that “today in Russia there is already a multi-layered system of censorship on Internet. There is an official list of “extremist” sites which are blocked by court order. Right now there are more than 2,000 of them.”

“And then there is another list of blocked sites that is hidden from public view,” he writes. “These are sites blocked by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, or Roskomnadzor. These sites are banned without any court hearing or even any explanation. The oppositional news sites Grani.ru, Kasparov.ru and EJ.ru were blocked by decision of Roskomnadzor this spring.”

Mr. Davidoff adds that “users report that this censorship also has “gray zones,” in which a site may not be officially censored but is inaccessible all the same. This apparently depends on the provider. Bloggers and site owners are regularly accused of “extremism,” which leads to self-censorship in an attempt to avoid legal action.

Last month, popular bloggers had to register with the state. This registration does not give them any new rights, but it means that they will have to observe many new requirements, like the obligation to “post only verified information.” IIya Khrennikov and Anastasia Ustinova, writing in the May 1, 2014 edition of Bloomberg.com, wrote that this legislation classifies the roughly 30,000 Russian bloggers who have 3,000 or more readers as media outlets; and, makes them and the companies that host them — subject to regulation.

“This law is a step toward segmenting and nationalizing the Internet; and, putting it under the Kremlin’s control,” said Matthew Schaaf, a Program Officer at Freedom House, a research group in Washington. “It could have a serious chilling effect online expression in Russia, making users stop to think how their Google searches and FaceBook posts could be used against them.”

More alarmingly — in the short term — Bloomberg reports that “Russian agencies have been pressuring Internet companies for information on Ukrainians who supported the February ouster of that country’s Kremlin-backed President, Viktor Yanukovych. 

Eat your heart out Edward Snowden. Your new country is well down the road to erecting a digital Iron Curtain. V/R, RCP

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