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Russian media watchdog backs bill to protect Russian Internet users

The bill introduces the status of "the owner of the web resources involved in violations of fundamental rights and freedoms of the people and against the rights and freedoms of nationals of the Russian Federation"

MOSCOW, November 19./TASS/. The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media supported on Thursday the bill enabling it to block internet resources for censorship with regard to Russian media outlets, the press service of the watchdog said.

"Roscomnadzor supports the bill. It is necessary to additionally determine the amount of fines in relevant regulations of the Administrative Offences Code," the press service said.

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Such web resources may face the fine varying from several thousand rubles to 3 million rubles (about $39,194), one of the architects of the bill, legislator Anton Gorelkin, told TASS on Thursday.

The bill introduces the status of "the owner of the web resources involved in violations of fundamental rights and freedoms of the people and against the rights and freedoms of nationals of the Russian Federation". In consultations with the Foreign Ministry, the nation’s prosecutor general may assign this status to the owner of a web resource permitting discrimination against Russian media content. The media watchdog may get the right to partially or fully restrict access to these resources.

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