MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/. The Russian segment of the Internet can function autonomously in case of external threats, the implementation of the law "on a sovereign Russian Internet" allows the government to respond to such threats, Head of the Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament) Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications Alexander Khinshtein said in an interview with TASS.
He noted that the law on a sovereign Russian internet had not been implemented fully yet, however, it already helps counter online threats. "It helps react to the corresponding challenges today and be confident that we won’t be cut off," he said, noting however, that there is a lot to be done yet to implement this law.
When asked about the capabilities to slow down traffic or block any website on Russian territory, the lawmaker stressed that Russian government agencies claim that they have "every capacity" to do this. "I don’t want to see for myself that they are right and I hope that we won’t need these mechanisms," the MP said.
A package of amendments to Russia’s information and communications laws, known as the law "on a sovereign Internet," entered into force on November 1, 2019. It obligates Russian Internet operators to install equipment provided by the Russian communications watchdog. With its aid, the watchdog can control traffic in case of a threat to the work of the Russian internet and block access to websites or social networks banned in Russia.