Russia Quietly Tightens Reins on Web With ‘Bloggers Law’

Widely known as the “bloggers law,” the new Russian measure specifies that any site with more than 3,000 visitors daily will be considered a media outlet akin to a newspaper and be responsible for the accuracy of the information published.

Besides registering, bloggers can no longer remain anonymous online, and organizations that provide platforms for their work such as search engines, social networks and other forums must maintain computer records on Russian soil of everything posted over the previous six months.

Russia Quietly Tightens Reins on Web With ‘Bloggers Law’

Putin signs new law requiring websites with more than 3,000 daily visitors to register with the Government

Looks like Putin is now following in the steps of China who heavily censor internet traffic and does not allow western sites including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google.

Pakistan has banned 20,000 to 40,000 websites, including YouTube, saying they offend Muslims. Facebook was blocked for a while in 2010, but is now accessible.

And many other countries like Turkey, Venezuela have also started to use Chinese technology to block access to certain websites. I wonder if ATS is also banned in these countries.

Perhaps they are all worried about "Spring Riots" starting in their countries and want to control all media outlets for their own gains.

a reply to: flammadraco

Let me spell it out to people what's happening.

Western Powers, US mainly, tried to topple Russian Putin government some time ago, by heavily sponsoring NGO groups. They tried a Russian colored revolution.

It Failed.

Putin responded by banning ALL FOREIGN financial support for NGO groups and other media organizations.

If you want to bitch about Russian government, you had to do it on your own time and your own money, no more sweet US dollars for your patriotism

So what is happening now, because of continuation of Western Propaganda, new law will force a blogger to prove what he is saying,

If you are saying you don't like Putin, and that he is crap, you are welcome to your opinion.

But if you are saying Putin is killing russians or stealing billions or drinking human blood, etc. Then you need to prove it. (though people are getting easily away with it by adding "may" such as, Putin may have killed 1 million russians etc, by adding "may" you are leaving room for being wrong)

I will remind you, that Putin has 70% approval rating, for a large country that is a big deal. If that rating slips, he is going to have to allow more relaxed rules. But for now, people like their country the way it is.

Also NO GAY AGENDA, NO GAY PROPAGANDA

To bad for Western Bankers, they really like to screw other countries with Gay and Lesbian groups, and with Drugs too.

a reply to: RadiationAndCancer

What's the view like from the Kremlin right now?

a reply to: RadiationAndCancer

Whilst I respect your opinion, why on earth have you bought the Gay "Agenda" into this thread? it had diddlysquat to do with the LGBT this thread.

You say Putin has a 70% approval rating, but were all 143.5 million Russians asked for their opinion on this matter? Or was it carried out by the same government agency that said the turn out in Crimea was 99% and everyone voted to join the Russian Federation when in fact it was a 30% turnout and only 15% agreed to the annexation?

Keep your opinions regarding the LGBT community out of this thread as it is irrelevant to the OP and not a "Soapbox" for some bigoted prehistoric ATS members to use to spout their homophobic views.

Smart wording.. bet the US law makers are drooling at the opportunity of rewording it for its own populace.

a reply to: flammadraco

bloggers can no longer remain anonymous online

Bugger that. I'm glad I don't live in Russia. Phew, secret identity still safe.

a reply to: flammadraco

Not every country enjoys the freedom of expression.

There are some, I would imagine, that would like to see similar controls placed here in the west.

I am flying to Russia this summer first class, will say hi from St.Petersburg.


.

originally posted by: beezzer
a reply to: flammadraco

Not every country enjoys the freedom of expression.

There are some, I would imagine, that would like to see similar controls placed here in the west.

I concur, even the UK and US no longer enjoy the freedoms we once believed we had with the NSA and GHCQ monitoring all our calls, emails and net traffic. I suppose these other countries are at least being up front with their populace.

originally posted by: Antigod
a reply to: flammadraco

bloggers can no longer remain anonymous online

Bugger that. I'm glad I don't live in Russia. Phew, secret identity still safe.

Phew, you mean that I can keep this facemask on then?

3000 visitors a day? That's nothing at all... any decent blog will pull in numbers above that. I can understand why large media organizations should be held to what they say, but this is really stupid. In any case it's not like they can really stop Russian bloggers from using Tor or something.

originally posted by: Antigod
a reply to: flammadraco

bloggers can no longer remain anonymous online

Bugger that. I'm glad I don't live in Russia. Phew, secret identity still safe.

You have one hell of sense of humor or do you really think your "secret identity " is safe

We all know that the MSM cannot be trusted and have their own agenda.

We know that every time a politician in the West opens their mouth the lies are let out.

On the surface, this law simply says, you have to tell the truth.

It would seem to me that if you have a democracy, then lying to the citizens is a crime against the very fabric of that democracy. On the surface, I think this is a damn good start.

The problem is of course, how far will it go and how long will it take before the "Truth" gets to be very subjective.

Overall, this will not be good for the Russian people.

On the other hand, the "freedom of the press" in the US is simply the freedom to make crap up and lie generally. This is not good for the American people. It is destructive to the very concept of the republic.

Neither system will work! Both are broken.

P

a reply to: ChaoticOrder

3000 visitors a day? That's nothing at all... any decent blog will pull in numbers above that. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Mine had over 200,000 in one day this year (non political science blogger). I'd be outed in Russia.

You have one hell of sense of humor or do you really think your "secret identity " is safe - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

The govt knowing I don't care about, it's some of the weirdos that troll my blog I wouldn't want knowing who I am. Fortunately the worst cases live the other side of the Atlantic. I've had death and rape threats, and all other nasties.

a reply to: pheonix358

We know that every time a politician in the West opens their mouth the lies are let out. On the surface, this law simply says, you have to tell the truth. It would seem to me that if you have a democracy, then lying to the citizens is a crime against the very fabric of that democracy. On the surface, I think this is a damn good start. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

If only the law about lying could be extended to all politicians.

a reply to: RadiationAndCancer

Found out who undertakes these polls and it’s a Russian based company called The Levada Centre.

Every month, the Levada-Centre carries out omnibus surveys in order to make current and accurate data available on a constant basis. The results of the nationwide polls are based on a representative sample of 1600 over-18s from 130 sampling points across 45 regions of the Russian Federation.

www.levada.ru...

That equates to 12 people from each zone. How on earth does that represent 143.5 million people across Russia? Which means that 1 of these polled people represents 89687.5 fellow countrymen. That equates to just over 5 tenths of a percent (0.06%). This would be the same as ATS polling just 150 ATS members and they would represent the views of all circa 250,000 ATS members. It would be absurd, and this poll of opinion in favour of Putin is also absurd.

What a load of baloney. I don’t take this Levada Centre very seriously with only a pool of 1600 pollsters.

originally posted by: flammadraco
a reply to: RadiationAndCancer
in fact it was a 30% turnout and only 15% agreed to the annexation?

Looks like you are having trouble keeping up with ATS

your facts are a HOAX

www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: RadiationAndCancer

originally posted by: flammadraco
a reply to: RadiationAndCancer
in fact it was a 30% turnout and only 15% agreed to the annexation?

Looks like you are having trouble keeping up with ATS

your facts are a HOAX

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Even if that is the case, your poll of the approval rating of Putin is a hoax with less than 0.06% of the populace actually asked for their opinion on the matter.

originally posted by: Antigod
Bugger that. I'm glad I don't live in Russia. Phew, secret identity still safe.

If you think NSA doesn't know who you are and your emails say, u r dreaming

a reply to: flammadraco Thought I would share this as it seems to maybe give a reason that Russia may be implementing such measures .Beware Of Aid Agencies Bearing Gifts
USAID’s so-called ‘democracy promotion programmes’ are designed to foment dissent against governments unfriendly to Washington www.informationclearinghouse.info...

By Linda S.Heard

May 06 2014 "ICH" - "GN" -" There is no such thing as a free lunch as states that are recipients of western aid understand only too well. The naive may believe that foreign aid is a tool to help developing countries; sceptics are convinced it’s a quid pro quo enabling wealthy powers to exercise geopolitical policy objectives. In a documentary, filmmaker John Pilger made the case that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are “The New Rulers of the World” on behalf of their largest donor countries — the US, the UK, Germany, France and Japan. But some less powerful nations are alleging that one agency — the US Agency for International Development (USAID) — is acting as a front for the CIA."