"The legislation, signed into law on February 20, was the latest in a series of regulations drastically tightening authorities' ability to restrict news and information inside of Russia. The new measure,which was passed earlier this week by lawmakers, gives the Federal Security Service (FSB) the power to demand that Internet service providers -- cellular or landline -- turn off or restrict access in cases "established by regulatory legal acts of"
"The move allows Putin to personally decide when online communications in the country or a specific region should be turned off, without having to give a reason. It also removes any liability for the providers for doing so. "Only the president can impose restrictions," Sarkis Darbinyan, a lawyer and longtime Internet activist, was quoted as saying. And presidential decrees are "even simpler than government decrees.""
On February 20, a new law grants the Federal Security Service (FSB) authority to order Internet service providers to shut off or restrict access nationwide or regionally. The law allows presidential regulatory acts to trigger shutdowns and removes liability for providers that comply. The measure centralizes control over online communications under presidential authority. Authorities have also throttled messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram while promoting a state-backed app called Max. Telegram faces a reported full block and has been used by bloggers and soldiers for battlefield reporting and fundraising, prompting pushback and regulator accusations about leaked personal data.
Read at RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
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