All news

Non-commercial watchdog to run ’black list’ of Internet sites – communications minister

No decision regarding the financing of such an organization has been made yet
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, December 1 (Itar-Tass) —— A non-commercial organization comprising Internet industry participants will be established by the end of the year to run a register of prohibited sites, Communications Minister Nikolai Nikiforov told the media on Friday.

“It is necessary to create some sort of a non-commercial partnership, which might eventually undertake to act as an operator, or a floor where the industry’s participants and their experts might discuss the rather complicated bundle of problems concerning law enforcement. Also it is important to ensure communication operators should delegate their experts to that organization. I believe that this organization will be established quickly enough, by the end of the year,” Nikiforov said. He is also certain that NGO must be independent and newly-created, “without a past.”

Nikiforov is certain that central to the organization would be an observer council, uniting all key players, providers, communication operators, representatives of the mass media and also public figures, for instance, State Duma members.

“All these participants in the industry will be able to ensure correct law enforcement and make no mistakes, which would be just ideal. Decisions whether to include this or that page in the register will be made by bodies of state power,” he said. In due time the number of non-commercial organizations may increase.

Nikiforov said the establishment of the NGO watchdog would not automatically make it the register’s operator.

“We believe that in case of proper participation the technical function of the register’s operator might be delegated to some organization. Possibly, the organization will be only a site for cooperation by experts. Or the observer council may at once vote for giving it the authority of the operator,” he said.

Nikiforov said the main problem was the absence of an effective channel of communication among specific hosting providers, site owners and the communications watchdog Roskomnadzor. The site owner’s contact information is not so simply to find out.

No decision regarding the financing of such an organization has been made yet.

“It may get a government contract or be financed by the industry’s participants,” Nikiforov believes.