Russian Roskomnadzor can receive a power to define the way of blocking for web-sites listed in “black list”. New developed amendments for regulation are intended to protect law-abiding web resources from unjustifiable blocking, for example when two web-sites “reside” on single IP and one of them must be blocked under Russian law, the “innocent” will not be punished together with guilty one.
The relevant amendments, developed by Russian ministry of communications, are proposed to be included in Russian law about information, its protection and informational technologies. These amendments should unify requirements to communication operators in relation to blocking of access to web-sites. Currently operators choose the method of blocking on their own. MinCom intends to change it.
If information on certain web-site or its single page has been considered as illegal under Russian law it must be blocked. Domain, single page of website or IP address can fall under blocking. In a case of IP address the “neighbors” of blocked site, residing on the same IP, can fall under blocking despite the fact that such neighbors are law-abiding. If Roskomnadzor will define how to block illegal information in Internet, law-abiding web-sites can avoid a blocking, as it is intended.
Russian hosting providers and operators of web-site have already faced such problems. For example, in 2013 Roskomnadzor required to block IP address where site in question resided. But on the same IP address resided also one of the Yandex companies. This company was out of network for 30 minutes. Almost 3,5 million people could not visit site of this company. One newspaper also has been blocked because it shared one IP address with illegal web-site.
Russian hosting providers execute requirements of Russian authorities in relation to blocking of illegal information or web-sites promptly and expeditiously. But overseas service providers have their own law and regulations and do not always execute requirements of Russian authorities simply because they must comply with law of incorporation first of all. MinCom has a lot of things to do in order to resolve this “task”.
But it is not all changes. It is intended to create special electronic system for internal interaction between relevant authorities. Through this system Roskomnadzor will receive courts’ order for blocking of web-sites. Such measure should make blocking faster and less costly. There will be no need to wait when Russian post deliver all necessary papers. The courts’ officers should receive opportunity to notify Roskomnadzor about all decisions concerning blocking or unblocking through personal account.