In an effort to combat child pornography and extremism on Russia’s Internet, several organizations in Russia have formed the non-commercial partnership Safe Internet League.
The league aims to conduct educational campaigns and establish practical measures for preventing and detecting harmful content on the Web. It can be joined by any commercial or non-governmental organizations, as well as by individuals.
Heading it is Russian Minister of Communications and Mass Media Igor Shchegolev. Organizations that have joined so far are mobile communications providers Vimpelcom, MegaFon, and MTS; national communication company Rostelecom; portal Mail.Ru; and computer security company Kaspersky Lab.
At a press conference held Monday, Shchegolev outlined two basic models of approach to combating hazardous content on the Web. The first, he said, consists baccarat of hard limitations and censorship and is the responsibility of law enforcement authorities, who will decide whether websites should be closed because of harmful content.
The second model consists of self organization, the approach that the league has decided to follow. The league plans to create a center for monitoring the Web as well as a cyber militia for combating illicit content on the Web. The league will cooperate with law enforcement authorities but will not involve itself with punitive actions, which lie within the scope of law enforcement.
Shchegolev also mentioned that law enforcement will maintain a dialogue with organizations in other countries that are similar to the league.
The league will be funded through a system of non-governmental grants. The first grant will be awarded to help establish the monitoring center.
Pavel Astakhov, Russian Federation Commissioner for Children’s Rights, spoke out in favor of the establishment of the league. He said that the cooperation of business, the public, and governmental authorities is necessary to achieve the league’s goals. In Astakhov’s opinion, the league should be involved in teaching children to responsibly use the resources that the Web offers.
