Russian bill restricts Internet searches
The Russian State Duma is due to proceed with the second reading of legislation that foresees fines for those who search for "explicitly extremist content" on the Internet. Due to their content, roughly 5,500 websites, including many international news sites, are currently blocked in Russia. Users can only access them via VPN.
Internet now a no-go zone
The planned amendments mean that the only safe option is to stop using the Internet, Radio Kommersant FM writes in dismay:
“Russians need to examine the legal situation carefully before venturing onto the global web. After all, not every Russian knows what 'targeted' means, or which materials are considered extremist. ... And what are historians, journalists, researchers and counter-propagandists supposed to do? As everyone knows, you have to know your enemy to defeat them. Knowledge is power, and how are you supposed to argue with facts and refute false statements without knowledge? Or will one need a special permit? ... Be that as it may, the bottom line is: if you don't want trouble stay away from the Internet.”
Greetings from Belarus: reading is a crime
The bill constitutes a serious attack on freedom of information in Russia, opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov writes in a Telegram post republished by Echo:
“As the Belarusian experience shows, all a police officer needs to do is take your unlocked smartphone and inspect it. And voilà, you're now a top follower of Boris Akunin [bestselling author sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison this week as an 'extremist'], a sponsor of [Navalny's foundation] FBK and the illegitimate father-in-law of Osama bin Laden, all rolled into one. The crucial aspect here is that the principle that reading is not a crime is being broken. And next the penalty for doing so will go up from a fine of three to five thousand roubles [32-54 euros] to three to five years in a penal camp.”