The Internet Protection Society has selected the first three projects

    In December 2015, the Internet Protection Society (OZI) was formed in Russia, a non-profit organization that aims to protect the Internet in Russia from censorship, excessive regulation, and administrative arbitrariness.

    “In 2016, the Internet in Russia is at risk. The interests of tens of millions of users are directly affected by the unprecedented attack on the Internet, which the Russian authorities launched in the person of their administrative, technological and censorship bodies, ”activists of OZI write, urging volunteers to register.



    Now OZI has selected three projects that will be addressed in the first time. Leonid Volkov, one of the founders of the organization, talks

    about the first projects .

    1. Attack on SORM


    This is a legal and political project. The FSB forces providers at their own expense to buy unreasonably expensive SORM equipment from a narrow circle of special licensed companies in order to spy on users. It’s like with cash registers, which entrepreneurs are forced to change in response to everyone in the law - only here the pieces of iron are imposed for millions of rubles, and telecom operators are forced to shift this cost to users, increasing the cost of services. Current SORM practices are corrupt and often illegal. They can and should be challenged in the courts and canceled. So there is a big process ahead of us: providers will sue the FSB over the illegality of the new requirements for installing SORM equipment.

    We found a couple of courageous providers who are ready to go with us on a crusade against SORM, but we will be glad to everyone who wants to join: the more participants, the greater the likelihood of success and the less individual risks for each of them. Email us: mail@ozi-ru.org.

    2. Monitoring connectivity


    This is a technology project. Now the Russian Internet segment is associated with the outside world according to various estimates from 50 to 200 physical communication channels. More than once already aloud and on the sidelines there were plans of the authorities to reduce the number of these channels to 3-4, to oligopolize the cross-border data transfer market.

    Firstly, in order to give money to friendly firms; secondly, so that it would be possible, if necessary, to chop off the Russian segment of the Internet from the outside world with one movement of the knife switch. Our project is to monitor and make public the connectivity of the Russian Internet with the world; then an attempt to worsen connectivity will not go unnoticed, and we will have time and opportunity to respond to it.

    For this project, we will need volunteer programmers; TK is written, working hands are needed. You can sign up here .

    3. Internet Freedom Index


    This is a media project. I’ll tell you about it in detail a little later - when we publish the first index on the OZI website.

    “As opponents feel for weak points, we will launch new projects and initiatives, approximately once every three months,” writes Leonid Volkov.

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