Almost the half of Russians support Internet censorship

Almost the half of Russian citizens are not against information’ limitation in the Internet without a court decision and are satisfied with the work of prohibited sites’ register, argues a “Public opinion” fund’ poll. The prohibited sites’ register started its work in the beginning of November, 2012 within the “Protection Of Children From Harmful Information” law. The list includes sites with a child pornography, suicide propaganda, drugs etc.

The public opinion poll was carried out among 1,5 thousand of Russians in 43 regions. 54% of citizens and 77% of active Internet users knew about the register In the begging of December, 2012. Among those who knew about it 47% of respondent Internet users were for its introduction. 43% of Russians and 44% of active Internet users are not against from out-of-court decisions to block some information, but 23% of people in Russia and 29% of Net users support court decisions. Censorship opponents are in the minority. They are 14% wholly among Russians and 15% among Internet users.

According to a Protection Of Children From Harmful Information law 41% of Net users are ready to complaint to Russian Federal Surveillance Service for Mass Media and Communications ( Roscomnadzor) about a prohibited content. According to Aleksandr Oslon the head of the POF, “public opinion always will be on the side of those who struggle for the cleanness even if it connected with the Internet”. As he says it is not normal to protest against censorship, and those who woll say that the black list limits his freedom will face with a misunderstanding of others at least until limitations goes over the reasonable line.

The expert Aleksandr Demidov said that “the order of the country is more important for citizens then a freedom and people will continue to support such kinds of limitations in the Internet”.


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Born to be free

Today the free and even common for the whole world Internet is going to be separated on two parts. Experts afraid of the begginig the digital cold war and call for coming to a compromis. But developed countries see a danger of UNO will legalize Internet control. The World Wide Web in this way will be separated into numerous national networks. 

There are even an example of such separation ^ China, Saudi Arabia, Iran. In China there is practically no any access to Livejournal, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. In Iran the YouTube had been blocked since 2009. This happened after mass protests, caused by reelection of Muhammad Ahmandinejada.

Users in Iran do not have access to Facebook and Twitter and also a wide range of popular sites, that are accused of being pornographic or offensive for Islam. It is considered that such sites are threaten national security.


Not so long ago, by the order of Iranian lieder ayatollah Alo Hamenei was formed an In supervision agency - a virtual space Supreme Council. It includes such high officials as a Minister of Information and culture, chiefs of the police and IRGC (Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution). In 2010 IRGC formed a special department to struggle with the “ destructive” nets and several thousand of Iranian citizens who violate the Internet law were arrested.At that time it was created a national Internet, practically wholly independent from the WWW. For example Mehr. It is a site that is going to be the YouTube competitor for Iranian speaing people.

Iranian user found a way to avoid prohibitions with a help of special programmes by imitating the computer location in another country. Of course it is illegal to distribute such a programme in Iran.
The access to such a social networks and news sites is blocked practically in all totalitarian countries, for example in Turkmenistan.

Russia also is speaking about a “logical” Internet regulation/ It was offered to prohibit anonymous registration. The attempts to censor Internet is officially explained as the fight with the terrorism and child pornography. Also it is discussing the amendments into a bill about connections and information, that will allow to block different Net resources.

A Western world also is moving slowly but surely towards the Internet control. In May, 2011 in Dovil was accepted the declaration G8 that supports intellectual property rights (IPR) security measures. Such bill as “ Secure Intellectual Property Rights” or “ Stop Piracy” , that will began the Internet censorship are considering in the USA. The Google creator Sergey Brin is sure that the threat to a free Unternet is coming not only from China and Iran, but also from Apple and Facebook, who by data sharing limits divide Internet among each other.


Maybe soon there will only several zones of a free Internet. The introduction of the approved network censorship under the UNO is a scary tale that can become a true story.

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Internet censorship in Central Asia

It is hard to find a site that will irritates politicians of a Central Asia more than Fergana.ru. Working abroad Fergana reports such themes that local Media is not able. This reports concerns everything from Uzbekistan president corruption system to nationalistic ideas of the lieder of the “ Ata-Jurt” party in Kyrgyzstan and tortures in Tajikistan jails.



Just for this reason the Fergana site is blocked in 4 countries:  Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. According to the chief editor Diniil Kislov point of view the aim of the government is to block the access to the Internet resource proves that “ Fergana” publishes a truth.

Daniil Kislov tells how Fergana became one of the leading informational resources in Central Asia in the interview with the “ Voice of America”.

Erica Marat: How popular are you in Central Asia, where Fergana is officially prohibited?

Daniil Kislov: Despite the fact that our site is blocked  the audience is big because nowadays due to the Internet options and even if you’re not a specialist it is easy to avoid a site’s blocking. It is a pity that government authorities of the Central Asia countries do not understand that it is practically impossible to block smth in The Internet.

A number of people who read our site through the proksi - servers or other programs is a half of all our readers.  

We always give our readers the alternative ways to get access to our site. For example they can read it through Facebook or Google Reader.

E.M.: Politicians of Kyrgyzstan and other countries accused Fergada of being aimed at setting undermining or destabilization of the situation in the region. What do you think about this?

D.K.: Everybody, even parliament deputies have their own opinion. But it would be better if the decision to block sites is procedurally correct. After blocking our site (6 month ago) we were trying to explain to the authorities of Kyrgyzstan that this measures are illegal and if they want to block us than the general prosecutors should take a legal action. Then a court based on some expertize should proves that the site contradicts the extremism law and only after this they have the right to block it.

But for some unknown reasons our site was blocked without the court decision. So that is why we applied to the Bishkek inter-regional court.


So today Kyrgyzstan will have an interesting issue against blocking that can  shows the situation in the country (and what the society and a court think about unconditioned censorship in the Internet - author’s example).
E.M.: Does that mean that other 3 countries of Central Asia that blocked Fergana blocked this site by the court decision?

D.K.: Of course not. The difference is that in these countries are another mechanism. It is legal there to block sites without any court decision but just after some authorities directions to the Internet providers. So Kyrgyzstan is a good way to fight legally with blocking because it is possible to apply to a court.


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