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The Russian parliament has approved a law creating a separate, domestic network, separate from the Internet. This Russian network of networks will be fully isolatable and will mean that the country's communications will become autonomous and able to continue functioning even when the plug is pulled on Russia's connections to the Internet at large. Concerns increase that this move will be used more for control of content and even just plain censorship, and make any attempts at circumventing restrictions much more difficult. The law is expected to take effect November 1st. Russia has already banned certain programs, such as Telegram.
One of the law's goals is to keep as much of the data exchanged between Russian internet users within the country's borders as possible. This aim may sound like a move to protect Russian users from external threats, but rights groups have warned that the new measures could ultimately be directed at Kremlin critics rather than international adversaries.
The idea of increasing the government's control over the internet is part of a more long-term national policy trend. In 2017, officials said they wanted 95% of internet traffic to be routed locally by 2020. Since 2016, a law has required social networks to store data about Russian users on servers within the country. The law was officially presented as an anti-terrorism measure — but many criticized it as an attempt to control online platforms that can be used to organize anti-government demonstrations.
Also at Silicon: Russian Parliament Passes Bill To Isolate Internet.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 17 2019, @04:17PM (6 children)
I think I'll bookmark your comment for future review -- how many years do you think it will take to turn on a Great Firewall of the USA?
Personally, I think you are out to lunch, as bad as things might look now, the chance of something like this is minuscule, given our USA history of generally free and open press and communication.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 17 2019, @04:33PM
Make America's Firewall Great Again
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday April 17 2019, @05:13PM (1 child)
It will never happen. Just more blatant false-equivalency from our resident Russia apologist.
(Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Thursday April 18 2019, @12:00AM
could you please cite why it will never happen in the USA?
Consider that we already have a US Senator [arstechnica.com] calling for the banning of "dangerous" books from the Internet and attempts by the US Government and actions by various US Corporations to silence "Fake News" and conspiracy theorists.
So, please explain by what magic is the USA immune to such things?
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 4, Insightful) by jmorris on Wednesday April 17 2019, @06:05PM (1 child)
We have only had the illusion of a free and open society, until the Internet accidentally delivered it. Before we had almost all information and political discourse filtered through a handful of media empires with interlocking control. And it didn't take long for the cries of "too much freedom!" to begin, almost from the moment the Internet started having an impact; call it from the point Matt Drudge took the story Time was sitting on and blew it open. Now we have Jack and Zuck openly calling for their industry to come under government control. When different people face the same problem, they often find the same solution. The SJW Tech Oligarchs and the rest of the Democrats face exactly the same problem as Putin and the rulers in China, it is reasonable to assume they are all going to end up at the same solution. Their problem is that without massive disinformation, lies and brutal suppression of alternate points of view, no sane People would freely choose to be ruled by the likes of any of them. So they all conclude: Shut. It. Down.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 17 2019, @06:49PM
Dorsey, Spez, and Zuck are anything BUT social justice advocates. You know you have a seriously ideological problem when your primary insult is "social justice warrior." Oh noes get those eeeevulll justice people awaaaaay from meeeeeeee!!
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 17 2019, @09:59PM
Only in comparison to other countries, and especially countries like Russia. But, we have FCC censorship, draconian copyright laws, NSLs, free speech zones, crackdowns on whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, obscenity laws, etc. People often make the mistake of thinking that because X is better than Y, that X is overall good, when often that is far from the case.