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posted by martyb on Monday July 31 2017, @09:28PM   Printer-friendly
from the someone's-watching-you dept.

Russia has banned VPNs capable of circumventing website blocking, and will require users of chat apps to have a phone number associated with their accounts:

Vladimir Putin has banned virtual private networks (VPNs) and Tor in a crackdown on apps that allow access to websites prohibited in Russia. The law, signed by Mr Putin, was passed by Russia's parliament last week and will now come into force on 1 November. A second law to ban anonymous use of online messaging services will take effect on 1 January next year.

It would make it easier for the state to snoop on citizens' browsing habits, one internet security expert suggested.

The laws signed by Mr Putin are meant only to block access to "unlawful content" and not target law-abiding web users, the head of the lower house of parliament said, according to the RIA news agency.

One feature of the second law is the provision to require internet operators to restrict users' access if they are found to be distributing illegal content.

Also at Engadget, ZDNet, RT, TechCrunch, and CNET.

Related: Apple Capitulates, Removes Unlicensed VPN Apps From China App Store


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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Tuesday August 01 2017, @12:08PM

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday August 01 2017, @12:08PM (#547602) Journal

    What changed is all these countries got authoritarians in power because the easily swayed plebs got access to the internet and as a result it became easier to manipulate them with single source media sufficiently to influence the passing of unpleasant and potentially illegal legislation without the discontent of the 'consenting'.

    I guess some youngsters are forgetting about the Tee Vee technology - push only and centralized. Far easier to control than the internet.

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