The Russian Government will be able to block the internet connection with the rest of the world starting next March 1 without any legal loophole from other times preventing it. The Executive has promulgated a regulation, resolution 1667, which grants full powers to the telecommunications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, to control all traffic on the Russian network and leave the operators at its absolute mercy.Behind this entity there will be no court, but the agents of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the former KGB, and the law does not mention at any time the protection of basic rights of its citizens.
The Internet was born and grew throughout the world with the premise of being a decentralized global network outside the control of governments. With this new rule, the Kremlin will subject all traffic passing through its territory to “centralized management” by the omnipresent Russian State.The document empowers Roskomnadzor to deal with all alleged “threats” looming over Runet, as the Russian part of the Internet is known. This body will consult its decisions with the FSB and the ministry that supervises the media, and will have free rein to give orders to telecom companies and regulate internet traffic.
Resolution 1667 makes the censorship applied until now by the Kremlin on the Internet legal and opens the door to the complete blocking of the network. Since Moscow launched all-out war on ukraine,the Russian government has blocked thousands of websites –including dozens of newspapers,including EL PAÍS-; has slowed down youtube until it is unfeasible to watch a video; has blocked calls through messaging services such as WhatsApp; and has ordered all Telegram channel creators to install software of the Government which allows you to collect details from your subscribers.
This measure coincides with another clamp on freedom of information in the country. The Government has forced telecommunications companies to block the roaming and SMS messages arriving from abroad. Likewise, the Russian Government has also experimented with temporarily