Internet Control Authority Created in Russia

    According to Inopressa , Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the creation of a new regulatory service in the field of media and the Internet. Among journalists, this raised concerns whether the pressure exerted on the media and the network, which until now has remained free, will not extend.
    This week, Putin signed a decree to merge two existing government agencies in the media field into a single service that will issue broadcast licenses and track the contents of newspapers and websites.

    Alexei Venediktov, editor and head of one of the few independent radio stations Echo of Moscow in Russia, fears that the creation of a new service could lead to the Kremlin reaching one of the last strongholds of freedom of speech in the country. “This could be a blow that will destroy the future generation of Russian journalists,” he said.

    The Internet has become an arena for opposition youth groups and is increasingly used as a source of independent information, while the Kremlin tightens control over television and print media.

    Also popular now: