Kremlin Sets out to Extend Control Over the Russian Internet
Galina Timchenko recalls how proud she felt when the Russian news website she edited reached 3 million users per day. When she reported the figures to the website's owner, he was horrified.
"At that moment something snapped inside and I understood that this is the end, because there cannot be such an influential resource that is not controlled by the Kremlin," Timchenko said.
A month later, she was fired and a more Kremlin-friendly editor was brought in to run the website, Lenta.ru.
The shakeup at Lenta.ru last year came as the government was pushing through a slew of new laws to strengthen its control over the Internet, which President Vladimir Putin has described as a "CIA project."
Some of the laws, including those giving the government broad leeway to block websites and blogs, have proven possible to get around.
"Putin and his people are sure that all things are constructed like a hierarchy, but the Internet is a net and everyone can participate in the process," said Irina Borogan, who co-authored a new book about the Russian Internet called "The Red Web."
Other measures may prove more formidable, including a law that came into force on Sept. 1 obliging companies to keep servers containing information on Russian citizens on Russian soil. Russian Internet companies also have been asked to provide information on users of social networks and online money-transfer services.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/kremlin-sets-extend-control-russian-internet-34305006
Too easy...
= new reply since forum marked as read
