The lower house of Russia’s parliament has approved a controversial bill that aims to ‘protect’ online platforms and internet users from ‘information threats.’.
The State Duma, the lower house of parliament, unanimously voted Friday in favor of the bill, which was submitted by the government in April. The bill now proceeds to the upper house for consideration and is widely expected to become law..
Critics of the bill, including domestic and international media freedom advocates, have argued that the legislation will give the Russian government excessive power to control online speech and restrict access to independent news sources. Among its provisions, the bill requires online platforms to take down content that authorities deem to be false or inaccurate within 24 hours of receiving a notice..
The move has raised concerns about the future of media freedom in Russia, which has seen a steady decline in recent years. In its 2021 report on press freedom, Reporters Without Borders ranked Russia 150th out of 180 countries, describing the media landscape as ‘extremely difficult’ and marred by ‘violence, censorship and propaganda.’.
According to Tass, the state-owned Russian news agency, the new bill aims to ‘protect’ online platforms and internet users from ‘information threats.’ It defines an ‘information threat’ as ‘information that can cause damage to individuals, society or the state,’ including ‘disinformation’ and ‘propaganda.’.
The bill also gives the Russian government the power to create a ‘unified system’ for monitoring and filtering online content. This system will be responsible for identifying and taking down ‘illegal’ content, including content that glorifies extremism or violence, incites hatred or social unrest, or violates the rights of minors..
Critics of the bill argue that it is vague and overly broad, and that it could be used to target independent media outlets and opposition voices. They also point out that the bill does not provide any clear definition of ‘false’ or ‘inaccurate’ content, which could lead to arbitrary censorship..
The bill is also seen as part of a broader crackdown on dissent in Russia. In recent years, the government has passed a number of laws aimed at restricting freedom of speech and assembly, including a law that criminalizes ‘extremism’ and a law that requires NGOs receiving foreign funding to register as ‘foreign agents.’.
The approval of the bill by the State Duma is a significant development in the Kremlin’s efforts to control the flow of information within Russia. It is likely to further erode media freedom and make it more difficult for independent voices to be heard..
