Russia’s “Great Firewall” has been activated

Following China’s steps, Russia passed the “sovereign Internet” law in May and has now come into force on 1 November. According to the BBC , the law allows the Kremlin to cut Russia off the web in case of emergency while maintaining a home network. Internet providers are required to install a network equipment also known as DPI (deep packet inspection), which can identify the origin of traffic and filter content. In practice, it gives the Roskomnadzor Telecommunications Commission the power to block more effective sites.

The law has provoked reactions within Russia, since only the government can decide what constitutes a threat and what actions should be taken. According to Human Rights Watch , Roskomnadzor will be able to block access to content that the government considers a threat, while also giving legal push for mass surveillance.

Now the government can censor content directly or even turn Russia’s internet into a closed system without telling the public what they are doing and why. This jeopardizes the right of the Russian people to freedom of speech and freedom of access to online information.