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airiefairie.livejournal.comAndrey Lugovoy is a former agent of the Russian intelligence services, now turned businessman. He was the one who was suspected for the murder of Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in London (the polonium poisoning case). Back in 2006 this scandal brought the relations between Britain and Russia to a new low. The British government demanded that the suspect be extradited to London. The row ended with Lugovoy getting immunity after he was elected MP at the Russian Duma. Now he's virtually untouchable. And he has found a new cause to fight for, and a new enemy of the state to combat: political trouble-makers in the Internet.
Russia to block websites that call for rioting, ‘extremism’ without court ruling
Lugovoy, who is from the party of well-known far-right populist Vladimir Zhirinovski, has now authored a bill that would severely tighten the laws regulating the Internet in Russia. And it is scheduled to take effect just in time for the Sochi Olympics, on February 1. The new law would expand the prerogatives of the security services, which would be able to block websites under the pretext of trying to counter extremism and child pornography (the "protect the children" meme that Putin seems so fond of, lately). But the way the law is phrased, it would also allow to prosecute those calling for protest actions. The social networks have been very helpful in organising popular dissent lately, and the authorities now seem eager to address that threat. After any call for protests in Facebook for example, the telecommunications service will be able to request a full blockade of the entire network in the country, unless the host complies with the order to remove the "disruptive" content.
So in the future, this sign will be getting displayed ever more frequently across users' screens:
( Read more )
Russia to block websites that call for rioting, ‘extremism’ without court ruling
Lugovoy, who is from the party of well-known far-right populist Vladimir Zhirinovski, has now authored a bill that would severely tighten the laws regulating the Internet in Russia. And it is scheduled to take effect just in time for the Sochi Olympics, on February 1. The new law would expand the prerogatives of the security services, which would be able to block websites under the pretext of trying to counter extremism and child pornography (the "protect the children" meme that Putin seems so fond of, lately). But the way the law is phrased, it would also allow to prosecute those calling for protest actions. The social networks have been very helpful in organising popular dissent lately, and the authorities now seem eager to address that threat. After any call for protests in Facebook for example, the telecommunications service will be able to request a full blockade of the entire network in the country, unless the host complies with the order to remove the "disruptive" content.
So in the future, this sign will be getting displayed ever more frequently across users' screens:
( Read more )
