Putin Signs Law on Russian Internet (Runet)

President Vladimir Putin of Russia has signed the law on providing a stable operation of the Russian Internet (Runet) in case it is disconnected from the global infrastructure of the World Wide Web.

According to the law, in case there are threats to the stable, safe and integral operation of the Russian Internet on Russian territory, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media will be able to carry out "the centralized operation of the general communications network." The Russian government will approve the order of this management and will determine kinds of threats and measures to eliminate them. In particular, the cabinet of ministers will determine "cases of managing hardware for threat countering and conveying binding orders." The cabinet of ministers will also "determine conditions and cases in which a communications provider has the right not to direct traffic through the hardware for threat countering."

The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media will provide this hardware to communications providers free of charge. The federal service will also determine the specifications for installing these systems and the requirements for their use by communication networks. A provider that installs this hardware is released from the obligation to block banned information if access to it in the communication network of this provider is restricted with the use of these systems under the centralized operation of the general communications network (as the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media will carry out access restriction).