It finally happened, at the beginning of May president Vladimir Putin signed a bill that seeks to establish Russia’s “internet sovereignty.”
The law’s explanatory note bluntly asserts that it was prepared taking into account the aggressive nature of the U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy adopted in 2018: “Under these conditions, protective measures are necessary for ensuring the long term and stable functioning of the internet in Russia.”
Among other measures, it dictates the creation of the infrastructure to ensure the operability of the Russian internet in the case of Russian telecom operators’ failure to connect to foreign root servers. A national Internet, in other words.
The idea of creating an autonomous system of internet governance originated in China, but make no mistake: the Russian internet sovereignty law goes beyond anything China has so far attempted.
‘Sovereign Internet’ law: Why Russia could break the InternetRead More
