It looks like Russia isn’t fooling around when it comes to taking control of the Internet. Based on this report from Engadget a new bill has will go into law later this year. With it, the government now has firmer control over its own Internet. It basically forces Internet service provides from utilizing any kind of foreign servers. For that matter, it also has a national domain system. With it, the country can still stay online, even if the rest of the world’s Internet is not. The Russian internet isolation bill will take effect starting November 1.
This is a pretty controversial bill, and one that’s likely to see opposition over the next few months before it goes into effect. A recent poll conducted by the Moscow Times indicates that 52 percent of Russians aren’t in favor of it. And with several “Free Internet” rallies already held, more should come over the course of the year.
The country already has a firm grip over the Internet, based on the report. This includes limited use of VPNs, as well as blocked websites and designation of certain media groups. It initially introduced the measure a couple of years back, following countless accusations about election tampering in the United States.
But perhaps the biggest blow in this battle came last year, with a recent Freedom on the Net report. With it, the country received a classification of “not free.” As a result, lawmakers could continue to ban content as they pleased. Not to mention users couldn’t go online without their profile intact.
More than likely, despite all the protests that will take place over the next few months, the bill isn’t likely to budge since it’s now a law. Where Russian Internet goes from here has yet to be seen. We’ll see if any sort of opposition rises in the meantime.
