Latest posts by Kevin Rothrock
Everything You Need to Know About Russia's Internet Crackdown
To help people keep track of what’s what in Russian cyberspace, we've compiled a list of the most important laws to hit the RuNet in the past two years.
Russia's Cyber Nanny Calls for a Clean RuNet
In the eyes of parliamentarian Yelena Mizulina, the Russian Internet is a pretty scary place. Learn about the Cyber Nanny's latest filtering initiative with this handy breakdown from RuNet Echo.
Russian Bureaucracy’s Race to Police the Web
"...the most frightening truth may be that Russia’s law enforcement agencies don’t always wait for lawmakers to grant them formal authority when it comes to policing the Internet."
Russia Says the Internet Spreads Extremism
Russia’s Interior Ministry has drafted a ten-year strategy for countering violent extremism. The plan identifies the Internet as the main conduit for extremism and calls for new policing measures.
Meeting with Putin, Industry Leaders Ditch Users on Digital Rights
Vladimir Putin attended a much-anticipated meeting with Russian Internet industry leaders in Moscow today. Did they discuss Internet freedom? Barely.
3 Ways the Russian Government Plans to Police the Web
Several state agencies in Russia are now involved in drafting bylaws that will determine how officials actually enforce a series of controversial new Internet regulations.
Persecuting Russian Bloggers Doesn't End with Censorship
Pro-Kremlin Internet activists are now targeting tech volunteers working for Russia's top blogger, who is already blocked online and under house arrest.
Countdown to the End of Twitter in Russia
The deputy director of Russia’s chief censorship agency, Roscomnadzor, has threatened to order a block on Twitter or Facebook entirely, in a matter of minutes.
The Kremlin’s Internet Annexation
For some reason, lawmakers in Russia today continue to add new powers to the state’s censorship utility-belt, as though the current panoply of Internet controls weren’t enough.
A Russian Gulag for American Social Networks’ Data?
A Moscow city councilman is promoting legislation that would require all online social networks to house users’ personal data on servers located on Russian soil.
Russia’s Best News Portal Decimated
In Russia’s jingoist climate today, it is now much easier for corporate owners and state authorities to meddle in the politics of the country’s news websites.
Russia’s Parliament Prepares New “Anti-Terrorist” Laws for Internet
Another Internet crackdown looms in Russia, where the Duma is reviewing three new pieces of “anti-terror” legislation that could place hefty restrictions on the activities of websites and civil society.
Monitoring the Russian Internet for Big Bucks
The Russian Federal Protective Service is asking software developers to design a system that automatically monitors the country’s news and social media, producing reports that study netizens’ political attitudes.
Orphaned in US, SOPA Finds Home in Russia
America’s controversial Stop Online Piracy Act is back—and it’s poised to become law in a matter of weeks. SOPA, however, isn’t coming to the US, where a wide coalition defeated the legislation in January 2012. A law that creates similarly harsh penalties for online copyright violations is on the cusp of finding a home in Russia.
Russia's #1 Netizen Heads to Trial
Pussy Riot, eat your heart out. On April 17, Russia’s most polarizing blogger, Alexey Navalny, will stand trial for embezzling roughly half a million dollars from a state-owned timber company in the city of Kirov. In a country constantly plagued by politicized legal proceedings, prosecuting the nation’s most prominent netizen promises fireworks.
Wikipedia's Suicide Mission Against Russian Censors
Smoking cannabis is dangerous business for people the world over. In Russia, just writing about it online can get you in trouble. State officials informed Wikimedia Russia that the government has placed its “Cannabis Smoking” article on its blacklist of illegal websites.