Russian Officials Consider Ban On Wi-Fi Use For Kids

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Russian Officials Consider Ban On Wi-Fi Use For Kids

Posted by timothy on Tuesday October 9, 2012 @05:08AM from the you-can-still-be-young-at-heart dept.

dsinc writes that Russia's "Communications and Press Ministry has proposed banning children from using Wi-Fi networks in public, potentially making cafes, restaurants and other locations providing the service responsible for enforcing the law. An official with the ministry's Federal Mass Media Inspection Service, known as Roskomnadzor, said the ban should apply to people under 18 years old. Locations providing Wi-Fi access would be held legally responsible for implementing the rule, and failing to meet the proposed measure would result in a fine ranging from 20,000 rubles to 50,000 rubles ($640 to $1,600), Vedomosti reported Thursday." The law, ostensibly to "shield" children, would apply to a fairly broad definition of child — anyone under 18.

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What's the fear? by BobPaul · 2012-10-09 05:08 · Score: 4, Insightful

Is he afraid of kids getting access to porn or is he afraid of kids becoming politically active and starting a "Russian Spring" or sorts?
1. Re:What's the fear? by jandrese · 2012-10-09 05:13 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Why can't it be both? You have your moral hysteria to appeal to the social conservatives, and the totalitarianism to appeal to the ranking government officials, it's a win-win.
  
  I expect this law to be enforced in current Russian fashion: not at all unless it is to harass your political or social rivals.
  
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  I read the internet for the articles.
2. Re:What's the fear? by Hatta · 2012-10-09 05:34 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  There doesn't have to be an actual risk to children. You just have to declare that you're doing something to protect children, and accompany it with a suitably jingoistic propaganda campaign. This is how "The Land of The Free"(TM), has managed over 75 years of cannabis prohibition, despite it being one of the safest drugs on Earth. A war on wifi would be no more absurd or unjust.
  
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  Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
3. Re:What's the fear? by tdrak · 2012-10-09 06:21 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  at home is fine, they can track who and what was posted. In public is where they have the problem tracking who did the posting.
4. Re:What's the fear? by ScottyLad · 2012-10-09 07:06 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I imagine they have the same problems we have of limited bandwidth and those darn kids are using it all up making internet access slow for everyone. Get them off the network (under some pretense of "think of the children") and - yay! More bandwidth for me...
  Actually, one of the many things I like about Moscow and St Petersburg is the presence of a decent free wifi in almost every place you can buy a coffee (such as Coffee House in the picture, and Shokoladnitsi mentioned in the article). Plus the fact there are no annoying splash screens, proxy logins or registration required - just select the access point and browse away.
  I tried to use the "free WiFi" in a McDonalds in the UK today as I had a poor mobile reception - I selected their access point, was prompted for my cellphone number, and then redirected to a login page which required the code which never arrived via SMS to my cellphone. It would be a real shame if the much more user-friendly and useful service in Russia (ie. one that actually works!) is legislated out of existence. (although the likelyhood of such legislation ever being enforced is another matter)
  It's been a while since I've been over to the USA, so can't comment on the situation there, but there are certainly things that Russia does better than the UK - and public WiFi is one of them. Bookstores that open through the night is another. I'll be glad to be back in Moscow later this week.
  
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  Philosopher (n) - a wise person who is calm and rational; someone who lives a life of reason with equanimity
How exactly? by Hentes · 2012-10-09 05:11 · Score: 5, Insightful

How in hell do you tell the age of someone connecting to your network?
1. Re:How exactly? by Zocalo · 2012-10-09 05:25 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  By counting the number of times terms like "OMG" and "LOL" appear per sentence?
  
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  UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
Oblig? by binarylarry · 2012-10-09 05:14 · Score: 4, Funny

In Soviet Russia, Wifi is spelled W-Ifi!
To better represent the struggle of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie.

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In Soviet Russia... by melikamp · 2012-10-09 05:16 · Score: 3, Insightful

This is being proposed in a country where minors can buy alcohol virtually anywhere.
1. Re:In Soviet Russia... by Mike+Buddha · 2012-10-09 05:30 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Alcohol in is counter-revolutionary. Internet access is just the opposite.
  
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  by Mike Buddha -- Someday the mountain might get him, but the law never will.
2. Re:In Soviet Russia... by Desler · 2012-10-09 05:48 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  The harm is the same as why the Chinese government censors the Internet. They can get access to "bad" information.
I got them off my lawn, but . . . by PolygamousRanchKid+ · 2012-10-09 05:17 · Score: 3, Funny

Now those kids are on my Wi-Fi . . .
"Get off my Wi-Fi!"

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Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
1. Re:I got them off my lawn, but . . . by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-09 05:39 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Now those kids are on my Wi-Fi . . .
  "Get off my Wi-Fi!"
  Get off my WLAN!
Re:PLEASE by Zocalo · 2012-10-09 05:27 · Score: 5, Funny

Now, now. The correct way to appease a Grammar Nazi is to give them a big hug, then softly say "There, Their, They're..."

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UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
Better control that free thinking. by Picass0 · 2012-10-09 05:30 · Score: 4, Insightful

Pissing off the youth is always a good idea for a career politician. They never remember stuff like this when they are old enough to vote.
the real purpose: add another bribery channel by takiysobi · 2012-10-09 05:38 · Score: 3, Interesting

In reality this law will create just another bribery channel for government officials. In Russia, various government agencies, including fire department, fishing, environmental, whatever regulating/monitoring bodies can close businesses for the slightest violation of infinite borderline idiotic regulations. For example, _every_ vehicle was supposed to have first aid kit and functioning fire extinguisher. Not sure if it's the case anymore, but I would not be surprised if in addition to that you need 50 meters climbing rope and gas mask, just in case. This is just one more way to facilitate bribery across the wider spectra.
An excellent way of enforcing control by fluor2 · 2012-10-09 06:18 · Score: 4, Insightful

To be sure that one does not offer Wi-Fi for kids, the only solution is to require authentication with a real name or similar. Else, the government can arrest you because you cannot prove that a kid did not use your network.
A very smart move to hide the real reason; more control.
Re:PLEASE by Stoutlimb · 2012-10-09 07:26 · Score: 3, Interesting

This is typical Russian mentality, there are thousands of laws such as this already on the books. The aim is to make every citizen a prosecutable criminal at the governments whim by crafting laws that are impossible to reasonably follow. This allows the government to crack down on criminals they don't like, and leaves the rest of the criminals terrified and compliant. Saying that Russia is a nation populated entirely by criminals is a sadly true statement.