Slashdot Mirror
Russia Quietly Passes Anti-Blogger Law
randomErr (172078) writes "Russia is tightening its grip on free speech and freedom of the Internet by creating a new 'bloggers law'. This policy follows the pattern set by China, Pakistan, Turkey, and Iran."
Any site with more than 3000 daily visitors will be required to register and be held to a number of restrictions, quoting the article: "Besides registering, bloggers can no longer remain anonymous online, and organizations that provide platforms for their work such as search engines, social networks and other forums must maintain computer records on Russian soil of everything posted over the previous six months."
Beatings will continue until... Moral improves or I kill you and take your stuff.
Enjoy your slide back in to totalitarianism.
Russia outsources the record-keeping to the sites with a 6-month retention schedule. NSA relieves the sites from the need to keep the records by doing it themselves, and keeps them forever. Which one is more business-friendly?
Here in America, we have it much easier. The NSA does all that recordkeeping for us.
....To keep the CIA out
Companies that operate within the purview of the "free" internet -- what remains of it -- need to take a stand against these sorts of regulations, and the conditions which foster them. The construction of borders to divide the internet into faux representations of old-world nation-states should be discouraged at the highest level, specifically because it leads to this form of destructive interference.
The old powers are so afraid of the capabilities and ambitions of a unified human voice that they're desperately strangling the life out of free expression on the internet, all over the world. This cannot function without the support of the major economic players in the internet sandbox. Against the kind of power that we, as a people, can bring, through those players, tyrants and oppressors cannot stand... we've seen it happen, and that's why they are sweating bullets.
Is it really Godwin's Law if it's true? Maybe like libel; it's bad, but truth is a defense (except in the UK)
http://www.historylearningsite...
Here in america we have journalistic freedom of speech. If you oppose US foreign policy or help expose secret illegal government programs we find it to be patriotic and sacrosanct. Moxie Marlinspike once helped a foreign journalist expose illegal american programs and he certainly wasnt ever targeted for random detention in airports because that would be unamerican. We never secretly spied on the New York Times when they reported on the NSA's illegal activities either, because thats not what america stands for. Heck, we once had a famous American blogger named Anwar al-Awlaki who had a really controversial opinion of the american government but did we use a robotic drone to kill him and his son with a missile while he was in Yemen? of course not.
Good people go to bed earlier.
'How is it, then, that the Russians have songs?'
-- Nietzsche
> cosmonaut
Got the right country this time.
In the US, free speech is a blacklist-based phenomenon. There's a few things that are illegal to say - like 'Fire' in the theater - for example. If it's not listed, it's probably fair game, and you can't be jailed for it. Thus; westboro baptists and illinois nazis.
In many places in the world, it seems like the definition of free speech refers to the fact that there's a government-approved whitelist - here are the things you are allowed to talk about/say, anything not on the list are disallowed and legal offenses. Anything that's not explicitly on the list (and often times, even if it is) is subject to prosecutions. Heck, it's standard in these places to claim that opposing political parties are, by their language alone, seditionists, and have them locked up. In part, this is why there's outrage against the US that we allow hate speech and open protest; in other countries, that requires a mandate by the government, explicit approval.
Even in western, supposedly enlightened countries, there are onerous restrictions; check out slander laws in England, Germany's stance on anything Nazi-related, or France's many, many restrictions - for example, it's illegal to criticize a public employee (though I have no idea if it's actually enforced).
Calling this 'free speech' is like calling tax laws in the US 'voluntary taxes'.
What we're describing here is not a "tightening grip on free speech". It's just "additional regulations" on a locked down system where participating is the exception, not the rule. The only thing free about it is that one is "free" to follow all the rules, or shut up.
Edward Snowden will leak everything from Russia soon
Seriously, could the combine three memes in a worse possible way?
We need to nuke these fuckers and just park our tanks there on the self-lighting glass surface.
Nobody will want to blog in Russia with these new regulations and that is the point. It is to shut down freedom of speech. Would you blog if you thought the police could come and arrest you for anything the authorities might take offense to even if it wasn’t' against the law technically speaking? How would you like to be closely watched all the time just because you blog? Would you like to be denied jobs and housing because of your opinions on the government? I think not. Putin is showing his true colours and they are fascist. Welcome to the new Soviet Union 2.0.
So if they don't register and do blog anonymously and hide their IP, how are they going to catch them? In other words, this does nothing and the Russian gov doesn't know how the internet works.
Russia is simply USA's future. Prepare!
Meet the new Stalin, same as the old Stalin.
Conservative, mod down for violating
Putin remains very "popular". Hitler was "popular". 97% of people don't really need or use their freedom of speech to an extent that it threatens the establishment.
On a hopeful note, historically, Hitler's tightening control produced "brain drain" among his most talented scientists and engineers. Societies which resort to these kinds of controls usually fail to keep apace with modernization. It's the fallacy of "surgery of thuggery". When totalitarians intend to surgically intimidate just a few vocal intelligencia, their "tools" or administrative enforcers (gestapo) are too clumsy and over-reach, intimidating brilliant people in unintended manners. This same thing happens in the USA business regulatory environment, if a state government gives too much authority to its regulators, businesses move elsewhere.
Gently reply
I'm so glad that some countries have the courage to deal with this internet thing properly. I mean really folks, we can't have people running around spouting their ideas, disrupting the natural order of society. It's about time some one took affirmative action against this abomination that is the internet. The though of ordinary people saying what they want, doing what they want, making what they want, and OMG sharing what they want - It's just crazy! The internet needs people with a higher purpose to control, filter, and even dismantle this thing that is so poisonous to society. My god man, giving people free reign on the internet is like giving a machine gun to a baby! Wake up people!
Say you have 100 different blogs with different names, different usernames for the admin, slightly different looks etc. but they all conveniently re-blog the same content. Next, you have a domain name that points to a load-balancing server which hosts no web content, but redirect the traffic so that none of these blogs hit the control quota. If one approaches the quota, the load-balancer will detect it and shut that particular blog down. A single-source DoS attack won't work against this system because that's only one unique visitor who just really likes the site :-)
But I'm just being a smartass. The best solution is to host the blog on a darknet and use a non-Russian darknet portal site to allow convenient (but not anonymous or secure) web access.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Every foreign search engine, blogging platform, or other covered entity just blocks all Russian originated IPs. Homegrown solutions may spring up to replace them, but the hassle ought to at least take this from "quietly" to "amid widespread condemnation and protest from Russians". Plus, who wants to be complicit in this kind of stupid BS?
where EULAs are now law, and most major social networks require you to post your full name, as per EULA
This is a scary policy that is following the west.
I'm sure Russian agents will create robots to make sure **EVERY** blog will hit that 3,000 daily hit minimum in order for everyone to fall under this registration requirement.
On the surface it will sound reasonable but in actuality it will be a blanket law.
thats not only cost for Disk space, that will cost freedom if they find anything anti RUS won't it?
I had rather have my horse to my mistress. Henry V
I was worried for a minute that there might be a discussion about a country other than the US on Slashdot. However no need to fear, the egocentric dipstick brigade is on it, making sure to try and steer any and all discussion back to America. I mean we can't possibly want to talk about the rest of the world, nobody is from there, nobody cares what happens. Instead let's make sure to focus any and all discussion on America. That's the only way!
Seriously, knock it the fuck off. There is a wider world out there, and some of that world visits Slashdot. They might be interested in some stories about thing other than the US. Heck, for that matter people in the US might be interested in stories about the rest of the world since it is all interconnected.
I get really tired of the ego brigade on /. that has to try and steer every single conversation back to the US. Story about Russia? Talk about how the US is worse and then rail on about that. Story about Canada? Talk about how it would be if the US did it and then rail on about that. No matter what the story, move the discussion back to the US.
Just stop it. If there's a topic about Russia, well let's talk about that. If that doesn't interest you, kindly keep your silence so that people can talk about it. If the NSA spying interests you, then comment in those discussions, of which there are many.
Slashdot is an American site and thus American centric in its reporting but it is not US exclusive. Stop trying to make it that way. Your ego can deal with something not being about the US once and awhile.
Fortunately, there's no mention of the Russian equivalent of the IRS going after those who don't adhere to the proper, Obama/Putin POV. That's only for U.S. bloggers and their non-profit kin.
That is, in part, due to the fact that the US is using social medial programs run through NGOs overseas and to subvert foreign governments. I participated in Darpa research that seemed to indicate this and that it was to be much more sophisticated as time goes on.
One way is to look at it as propaganda channels with an AI. The US population is also being studied and acted upon in this regard, to what extent is unknowable as it is no doubt under secret and non democratic laws with the usual national security excuse, we need to be protected from knowing...
I have a client that we're going to be getting some software for - not a major purchase, none of the alternatives being considered are even over $300. Of the two leading options, one is produced by a Russian firm, and that alone is making me less likely to choose it.
Admittedly in this case there aren't any major differences in functionality, and we may end up with the Russian one after all if testing shows its interface is easier to use/train on, but it's the first time I recall actually looking into and considering where the software is being created.
fencepost
just a little off
Isn't this what the FCC is proposing to do to Drudge, and other outlets?
"No, of course I don't have 3000 visitors a day! My site is automatically limited to 2500. It's funny though, the first 250 visitors every day take my posts and repost them on their sites. But that's their responsibility, not mine... but since my site has passed it's daily quota, here's links to sites with 'similar content'..."
Seriously. This is a stupid law.
We can easily just stop using blog 'websites', and instead post to public newsgroups. Or use RSS & other syndication & mirror tools.
He was a senior recruiter for Al Queda and actively involved in terrorist plots against the US and actively making propaganda for an organization at war with the United States. Our only mistake is that we didn't strip of his citizenship when he was caught by Yemen participating in an Al Queda plot to kidnap the US military attache. He was at large for 4 years, if he felt he was wrongly accused why not get a lawyer and arrange to turn himself in. Its not like he couldnt call the FBI anytime he wanted an arranged to be picked up. The Yemeni government offered to not even turn him over to the US if he would turn himself in.
What is to stop someone from creating a blog and posting from various public hotspots? From using VPS's and a whole whack of other tools. As much as the State likes to play the Almighty Knower Of All, there are still plenty of ways you can evade them. Think of it as the Samizdat of our day. If you have purpose and some trustworthy people, you can speak truth to power.
"SO we bide our time, waiting for a purer kick to bloom and the future is still bleak, uncertain and beautiful" -GSYBE
Oh, the Evil Empire is back!
After the US government doing so many things to encourage people to host services outside of America, Russia returns the favor. This could result in greater cooperation between the two peoples, as we can now cross-serve either other. You host our pirate search engines, we'll host your politics blog.
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
The UK also introduced regulation of larger commercial blogs that publish "news type" material, part of the recommendations of the Leveson enquiry into press standards. Large blogs have to sign up to a press regulator, if not they get fined. It does not matter where the Blog's servers are located, if someone downloads content in the UK, it is published it in the UK and they can be held responsible ("Downloading here can count as publication in the law.").
Links:
"Press regulation deal sparks fears of high libel fines for bloggers - Websites could have to pay exemplary damages if they don't sign up to new regulator, claim opponents of Leveson deal "
BBC News: Will websites/blogs etc be covered?
I'd look at the wording of the original law, but "computer records on Russian soil" sounds pretty ambiguous to me.
Not that it would help a lot in real life, but still.
Not only is information valuable, but keeping it under control increases its value. The free exchange, therefore, harms the wealth of the powers that be. Anonymity fosters free exchange.
Expect more of this, all over the world.
That doesn't make it right. I'd rather live in the US with our freedoms and if there are people living here that really find it so oppresive they should take every opportunity afforded them to move to some other utopia. I'm a libertarian and while I find our government too big and overreaching, at the end of the day I'm not denied my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
COMING SOON TO THE UK(TM)!
The very computer you are typing on would not exist if not for capitalism. Profit drives all and makes us better off. Resources are finite and those that work for them will get them. Being tired at the end of the day doesn't make you a hard worker.
Russia will give us Internet pharmacy's and ugly porn.
Even better, have you noticed that both "Obama" and "Putin" have 5 letters? I don't think this is a coincidence.
It's JEWISH totalitarianism...
http://balder.org/judea/Hate-Speech-Laws-Immigration-Jewish-Influence-Britain.php
Don't you know who was behind the 'Russian' revolution? The Eternal Jew.
http://daviddukeonline-eu.com/product/the-secret-behind-communism/
By Dr. David Duke, incorporating the writings of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Frank Britton and others. This is the single most important work on the ethnic origins of the Russian Revolution and the greatest Holocaust in the history of mankind: Soviet Communism and its tentacles which spread out all over the world.
It is estimated that more than 30 million—and perhaps untold millions more—died in the Holocaust which Communism created.
From the millions who suffered in the Gulags through to the Ukrainian Holodomor—which is still the single greatest genocide in all history—the blood-stained hands of Communism and its creators brought untold misery and deprivation to nearly half the world’s population.
This book rips aside the curtain which has been placed to cover up the single, dedicated, fanatic and murderous ethnic group which founded and controlled this “worldwide conspiracy for the overthrow of civilization” (as Churchill called it): Jewish Supremacists.
Read of how Jewish Supremacists created and guided the Communist movement, from its germination, to the “Russian” Revolution, the seizure of Eastern Europe, its tentacles in America and Britain, South Africa and even in early Communist China.
The great Russian patriot Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn who himself suffered greatly in the Jewish-run Gulags, and who later won the Nobel Prize, stated these powerful words:
“You must understand. The leading Bolsheviks who took over Russia were not Russians. They hated Russians. They Hated Christians. Driven by ethnic hatred they tortured and slaughtered millions of Russians without a shred of human remorse
More of my countrymen suffered horrific crimes at their blood-stained hands than any people or nation ever suffered in the entirety of human history.
It cannot be overstated. Bolshevism committed the greatest human slaughter of all time.
The fact that most of the world is ignorant and uncaring about this enormous crime is proof that the global media is in the hands of its perpetrators.”
These girls don't like Putin very much either: plus the song is hilarious!
My ism, it's full of beliefs.
In Soviet Union, blog is a drink made from animals. You chase it with Wodka.
The Olama Administration is already hard at work to completely ban the Constitution that's why he needs to be impeached and the rest needs to go as well! There already going after the media and changing it because of 666 Obama! I wouldn't doubt it that he is using The Musl
That he is using The Muslim Brotherhood to do his dirty work! Heck just look at the Feds, agents trying to steal Ranchers farmers land! And that is under Dirty Greed! America The Divided anyone and now MS-13 is Involed there kidnapping teens etc so UnAmerican! Conspiracy under the Obama Administration!
Add Satan and Jesus to the list.
"Santa" to both 'ah' and 5 letter list. Evil
FYI
The Feds are taking back Federal land that the rancher hasn't paid the lease on.
Its not free speech to make videos on behalf of organizations that are at war with the United States calling for the murder of american citizens and actively recruiting enemy soldiers. He essentially put on the uniform of the enemy and was hanging out with his al queda buddies in area of active conflict. You dont have to charge a known enemy soldier with a crime to kill him on a battlefield even if hes "only working in the PR department".
That's Blogski, comrade!!!
As for all the other countries, the NSA keeps the records of all things mentioned in the article.
If you say something nasty you're labelled a terrorist and you disappear just the same.
The difference is Putin is openly clear about is.
Privacy is terrorism.