Approved by Vladimir Putin, a new Russian law imposes rules preventing anonymity on the Internet within the country. Each citizen will need to be clearly identified by a government-approved system before they can use a web service.
Two weights, two measures. The phrase has never been more relevant for Russia. While the country wants to legalize the piracy of films and series, a law just approved by Vladimir Putin simply signs the death of internet anonymity. It aims to ensure that all Russian citizens wishing to access an online service are clearly identified upstream. The measures apply to new users from December this year.
To start, it will no longer be possible to register on a website with an email address provided by a non-Russian service (Gmail or Apple for example). Then, to verify the identity of users, online services will have to go through government-approved mechanisms. Either directly if they have permission, or through the official tool, the Unified Identification and Authentication Systemor by an approved third-party tool.
Russia Passes Law to Prevent Anonymity on the Web
Surprisingly, the new law does not prohibit VPNs, these software allowing not to be identifiable on the Internet. On the other hand, talking online about VPNs, TOR or similar tools to circumvent the requirement to be identified is now a crime. To drive the point home, site hosting companies must receive the approval of the Russian state before they can exercise. This obligation is in addition to that of identifying their users.
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Russia will soon appoint an authority to collect the names of web hosting companies. Once registered and validated, they will receive a list of activities, content and behavior prohibited by the government. It is up to them to ensure their elimination and the reporting of the measures taken to the Russian authorities. Finally, the law specifies that to be authorized, the company must be legally a Russian entity and managed by a Russian citizen who has no other nationality. They have until February 1, 2024 to show up.
Source: TorrentFreak