Russian President Putin Signs Controversial Internet Law

People rally against the bill about sovereign RuNet and censorship on the Internet in Moscow on March 10. Photo Credit: RadioFreeEurope

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a "sovereign internet" bill on Wednesday that would allow Russian authorities to isolate the internet of the country.

The country's lawmakers insist that the new law is needed to ensure the security of Russia's online networks. But critics say that the vaguely worded bill gives government monitors new censorship powers.

The text of the law was published on Wednesday but it will not come into effect until November.

The measures include creating technology to monitor internet routing and to steer Russian internet traffic away from foreign servers, ostensibly to prevent a foreign country from shutting it down.

The authors of the initiative say Russia must ensure the security of its networks after US President Donald Trump unveiled a new American cybersecurity strategy last year that said Russia had carried out cyber attacks with impunity.

Thousands of people recently rallied in Russia against this and other bills that critics say aim to restrict information and communication online.

Separately, in March, Putin signed controversial laws allowing courts to imprison people for disrespecting authorities and block media for publishing "false news."

The laws are part of an ongoing Kremlin clampdown on media and internet freedoms that has seen people jailed for sharing humorous memes.

Ten international organizations called on Russia to scrap the internet bill last week.





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