A new law in Russia has meant that there will be strict restrictions placed on bloggers and social media users.
Bloggers with more than 3,000 daily readers are now obligated to register with Roskomnadzor, a mass social media regulator.
In a move that one human rights group called ‘draconian’, internet companies will also be required to allow Russian authorities access to users’ personal information.
The new law, which was approved by Russian authorities back in April, will also ensure that bloggers cannot remain anonymous and states that social networking sites must hold on to data from its users for a minimum of six months.
This stored information must be kept on servers based on Russian territory in order to ensure that the data is easily accessible for government authorities.
Hugh Williamson, a member of New York- based Human Rights Watch, has called this new Russian law ‘another milestone in Russia’s relentless crackdown on free expression’.
Williamson added ‘The internet is the last island of free expression in Russia and these draconian regulations are clearly aimed at putting it under government control.’
In a similar strain, commentators of any kind who oppose Vladimir Putin often face restrictions in broadcast outlets such as newspapers.
Many believe that the law, which came into force on the 1st of August, will be difficult to maintain as the social media platforms that Russian’s use are based outside of Russia.
Anton Nossik, one of Russia’s internet gurus, expressed that ‘the issue of banning all these platforms in Russia is a political one and it will be decided by only one person’, which seemed to be a direct reference to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
This new law regarding social media is reminiscent of one that Russia enforced two years ago, which enabled Russian authorities to blacklist and force certain websites offline without warning or trial. This followed Putin’s statement in which he branded the internet as an ‘ongoing CIA project’.
Here in the UK, we are not facing the restrictions that are limiting the potential of many Russian IT users, but that does not mean that we can’t find ourselves facing many issues that can really inhibit IT performance. You may have the freedom to use social media for business purposes, but you may be feeling unsure regarding other aspects of maximising IT efficiency.
Here at Tristar IT Support, we are expert providers of IT support in Luton. To find out more about the range of services we offer, please feel free to get in touch with us using the details on our contact page, or call us now on 01707 378453!
