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Law requiring registration for bloggers takes effect in Russia on Friday

The Law, signed by Russia's President on May 5, 2014, within the framework of an "anti-terrorist package", for the first time introduces the notion "blogger"

MOSCOW, August 01, 2:52 /ITAR-TASS/. A law envisaging registration of popular bloggers in the list compiled by Roskomnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media) and partially equating them to journalists enters into force in Russia on Friday. A technical infrastructure for the enactment of the Law is fully prepared, an official in the press service of Roskomnadzor told Itar-Tass.

The Law, signed by Russia's President on May 5, 2014, within the framework of an "anti-terrorist package", for the first time introduces the notion "blogger". According to the document, the blogger is a person who places universal-access information intended for a mass audience, on a personal page in the Internet. Bloggers, whose posts are read by more than 3,000 users per 24 hours, must be included in the Roskombadzor register. The Law also introduces such a notion as organizer of the dissemination of information in the Internet.

The blogger may either file an application for registration on his own upon filling an e-form on a special website, or wait for a notification about the need to register from Roskomnadzor.

The registered bloggers will be obliged to list information about themselves on their pages, prevent the use of the information for criminal purposes, avoid unverified information, intrusion into the private life and denigration of the honour of other citizens.