Policies

Russian lawmakers consider banning VPNs and Internet anonymizers

June 9, 2017

A group of Russian lawmakers has submitted draft legislation to ban VPN and Internet anonymizers that allow users to gain access to blocked information resources, making it possible to circumvent Internet censorship. According to these Duma deputies, the country’s ability to police the Internet is hindered by such technologies as well as by search engines which provide …

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Putin eyes Ethereum as potential instrument for tech modernization

August 31, 2017

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his economic team have long been under the impression that, to wean the country off its oil dependence, they needed a major leap in some specific area of technology that wasn’t yet dominated by Western, Chinese or Japanese tech giants. As reported by Bloomberg, Ethereum, the world’s largest cryptocurrency after Bitcoin, has …

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Putin’s Russia wants to “introduce digital technology in all areas of life”

June 7, 2017

In statements made last week at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russian president Vladimir Putin displayed an unexpectedly strong commitment to the digital economy, in which he sees “a new paradigm for the development of the state, the economy, and society.” “We are capable of taking the lead in a number of areas of …

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Government backs tech entrepreneurship at universities

June 7, 2017

By September 1, 2017, the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and a pool of experts promise to develop a roadmap for support of technology entrepreneurship in Russian universities, Firrma.ru reported, citing a verbal mandate government officials received from Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. At Phase 1 of the pilot program, five universities will be involved: …

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Russia’s central bank plans to tax bitcoin, deem it a “digital commodity”

May 31, 2017

According to its deputy chairwoman, Olga Skorobogatova, Russia’s central bank is in the process of drafting legislation to legally recognize and monitor digital currencies. The preliminary draft regulation could be presented to the Russian State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian Parliament, as soon as June, Skorobogatova was quoted as stating by Interfax. Skorobogatova’s comments …

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Russia’s national guard to monitor social networks

May 19, 2017

Russia’s National Guard is planning to train IT experts and specialists to monitor social networks, the Interfax news agency reported Friday, citing first deputy commander of the National Guard Sergei Melikov. “We’re looking at areas of work we would like to develop” Melikov told reporters. “Mainly social media monitoring.” Monitoring social networks would help the …

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Ukraine bans leading Russian Internet sites

May 17, 2017

Confirming that the relations between Ukraine and Russia are currently at their lowest, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko yesterday signed a decree applying sanctions to 468 legal entities and 1,228 individuals from Russia. Among the targeted organizations are the two leading Russian Internet groups — Yandex and Mail.Ru Group — the services of which will be made …

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Executive order may put Internet media and online anonymity under new pressure

May 15, 2017

Issued Thursday, a 27-page Presidential executive order titled “Development Strategies for Russian Information Society from 2017 to 2030” is instructing the federal government to devise new mechanisms to rein in online media and limit Internet users’ anonymity. The Russian president is giving the government six months to reform its strategy for policing “means of providing …

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EBRD shareholders reject Russian challenge to funding freeze

May 11, 2017

As reported earlier this week by Bloomberg, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) confirmed once again that it will not to resume operations in Russia in the foreseeable future. As the EBRD’s board met Wednesday in Cyprus, the Russian economy minister, Maxim Oreshkin, questioned the legitimacy of the 2014 decision to freeze new investment projects in Russia, arguing …

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Smart Moscow: How technology transforms urban living

May 5, 2017

Over the past several years, Moscow has turned into a global leader in the introduction of urban smart technologies and accessible communications. Muscovites can now recharge their smartphones and tablets while waiting for the bus, and access the Internet via lamppost hotspots. Free Wi-Fi for all passengers Muscovites can no longer imagine urban life without …

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Facebook and other global digital giants agree to pay Russia’s new VAT on digital content

April 17, 2017

Facebook will pay Russia’s new 18% value-added tax as a foreign company selling digital content in Russia. The social network has joined a hundred other foreign companies that have registered to pay the VAT with Russia’s tax service. Among these companies are Alibaba, Amazon, Apple Distribution International, Bloomberg, Financial Times, GoDaddy, Google Commerce Ltd, Microsoft Ireland, Netflix International B.V., …

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Skolkovo to focus on boosting innovation and economic development in Russia’s regions

April 6, 2017

The Skolkovo Foundation, which is completing the construction of an international tech hub on the outskirts of Moscow, will spend the next few years focusing on developing tech entrepreneurship in the regions. In a meeting of the Fundation’s scientific advisory council on Tuesday, Igor Drozdov, the chairman of the board, suggested that a franchise model be rolled …

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