Legal

Russia adds international messenger Threema to official registry with a view to control users’ communications

March 17, 2017

Last week Threema, which claims to be “the world’s favorite secure messenger,” became the first-ever foreign messaging app to be added to the official Russian “Registry of Information-Dissemination Organizers.” The news has been reported by Roskomsvoboda, a Russian NGO that aims to combat Internet censorship in Russia. Since 2014, the Russian authorities have managed a list of online services that “organize the dissemination of …

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US Justice Dpt. accuses Russian agents of directing Yahoo hack in 2014; Kremlin denies any involvement

March 16, 2017

Yesterday, as reported by The New York Times, the Justice Department on Wednesday charged two Russian intelligence officers with directing a sweeping criminal conspiracy that broke into 500 million Yahoo accounts in 2014. The Russian government then used the information it obtained from the intelligence officers and two others named in the indictment — a Russian hacker …

US Justice Dpt. accuses Russian agents of directing Yahoo hack in 2014; Kremlin denies any involvement Read More

Russia considers slowing Internet speed for foreign sites breaking Russian law

March 15, 2017

The Russian authorities are considering a new initiative to force foreign companies to carry out decisions made by Russian courts and state institutions. Non-compliance would be punished with slower Internet access to their sites — in the same way that some mobile phone plans slow Internet access after users exceed a predetermined limit. The law …

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LinkedIn fails to agree with telecom regulator on restoring service in Russia

March 8, 2017

LinkedIn Corp. and the Russian authorities have failed to reach an agreement to restore access to the international social network from this country, Reuters has reported, refering to statements made yesterday by the company and the telecom regulator Roskomnadzor. “While we believe we comply with all applicable laws, and despite conversations with Roskomnadzor, including meeting with them in Moscow …

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How Russian authorities battle against online porn — in vain

February 28, 2017

The Russian government’s recent battle against online porn has electrified our country’s social networks. But much to the disappointment of the global porn industry, this so-called battle is, in fact, not much of a fight. Yes, the authorities have indeed blocked a hundred extremely popular sites. But the reason why is fairly banal: petty local …

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Implementation of Russia’s ‘Big Brother law’ could be postponed

March 16, 2017

Russia’s new “anti-terrorist” legislation could come into force in 2019 only (instead of 2018 as initially planned), allowing operators to implement it in better conditions. Examining this controversial legislation adopted last year, an official expert group led by Mikhail Abyzov, Russia’s Minister for Open Government affairs, has recommended that significant changes be brought to make its implementation less costly and more rational. …

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From EU to Russia, lawmakers call for robot legislation

February 17, 2017

While no country currently has a law to regulate the rise of robots, a resolution passed yesterday by the European parliament calls for EU-wide legislation in this field. According to the resolution, such legislation should encompass, in particular, liability for the actions of robots including self-driving cars, and an ethical framework for robot development and deployment. However, European lawmakers rejected …

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Russian lawmakers increase pressure on Internet providers to block banned sites, but users can still bypass the law

February 16, 2017

The Russian parliament has just passed a new law to set fines for Internet service providers (ISPs) who fail to restrict access to  blacklisted websites. ISPs that do not block banned sites according to the rulings of the state regulator Roskomnadzor will be required to pay up to a 100,000-ruble (approximately $1,700 at the current exchange rate) penalty. Public officials and …

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Russian Internet is “under martial law,” says NGO report

February 14, 2017

Agora, an interregional association of Russian civil rights NGOs set up in 2005 to bring together lawyers from regions as diverse as Tatarstan and Chuvashia in the Volga area and Chita in Siberia, has just released its annual report “Internet Freedom in 2016: Under martial law.” As reported by The Moscow Times, Agora’s report paints a bleak picture, …

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Russian tech executive sues BuzzFeed over unverified Trump dossier

February 6, 2017

A Russian technology executive who was named in a dossier containing unverified allegations about connections between President Trump and the Russian government has sued BuzzFeed News, which published the information. The defamation suit was filed in court on Friday in Broward County, Fla., according to lawyers for the executive, Aleksej Gubarev, the chief of XBT, …

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‘Google tax law’ comes into force: VAT applies to digital content and services, Uber benefits from favorable ruling

February 6, 2017

Starting January 1, foreign companies selling e-content via the Internet in Russia are required to register private offices in Russia, submit information on their sales in the country, and pay a 18% value-added tax. The tax applies to the following types of content or services: selling and giving access to e-books, audio and visual content, images …

‘Google tax law’ comes into force: VAT applies to digital content and services, Uber benefits from favorable ruling Read More

Vkontakte sues data mining companies

February 23, 2017

Russian social network Vkontakte is suing two data-mining companies who used its website to gather information on users without permission. The two companies, Double Data and the National Bureau of Credit Histories, will appear in the case at Moscow’s Arbitration Court. Double Data collects information on users’ place of work, study, and friends from their …

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