Russians are preparing for another communication blockade. According to some sources, a special interdepartmental group is working on draft amendments to the existing laws. Officially, the special services are going to fight so-called telephone terrorism.
FSB is against messengers — in Russia they want to break communication with the whole states. According to RBC, the Russian Security Council has ordered the development of a document that will allow the security services to block telephone and Internet communications in specific areas – countries and regions – without a court decision. The official reason for such measures is hoax bomb messages flooding Russian cities. The calls come from abroad. RBC sources claim that false reports are coming through Skype and Viber. Roman Zakharov from the Glasnost Defence Foundation says:
“Unfortunately, we are talking about getting rid of simple hooligans with unsuitable weapons. Does society agree not to increase its security from real terrorism, from real threats, but only from hooligans? This is a painful question for us. So, will this order be used to fight terrorists if it comes into force? No! What will happen? There will be will be willfulness.
Experts say that it is technically possible to block specific traffic, but that an Internet call can be redirected, and then its source is very difficult to determine. As the Telegram story has shown, this can lead to chaotic mass blockages.
Telephone operators and special services would not yet clarify the situation and would not confirm the information, while the spokesman for the Ministry of Communications, Yevgeni Novikov, responded briefly:
“The work is going on, the details are not for comment yet”.
The project may appear before the end of the year. Possibly, Skype and Viber will be obliged to obtain a license in Russia and disclose the data at the request of the Russian security services as part of the innovations.
Jan Morawicki, belsat.eu
