Russia’s parliamentarians have given final approval to two laws
intended to ban software that bypasses online censorship and tighten
government control of search engines and messaging services. Reporters
Without Borders (RSF) thinks they certify the death of a free Internet
in Russia.
The two laws marking a turning-point in Russian Internet censorship
were among the torrent of bills that legislators approved in a rush
yesterday, the last day of the parliamentary session before the summer
break.
The first law
aims to plug the gaps in Russia’s Internet censorship by obliging
services that circumvent website blocking – such as VPNs, proxy servers
or the Tor network – to block websites that are banned in Russia. Those
that do not comply will be rendered inaccessible in Russia.
