President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he would not restrict Internet access for Russians but Moscow must protect state domains against a surge of cyber attacks since the Ukraine crisis began.
His remarks were intended to douse speculation that he plans a crackdown on use of the Internet, which he has called a "CIA project" used to organise protests against him, as tensions mount with the West over the Ukraine crisis.
"We do not intend to limit access to the Internet, to put it under total control, to nationalise the Internet," Putin told a meeting of his advisory Security Council, which groups top state, defence and security officials.
"We are not even considering this," he said. "Media freedoms, the right of people to receive and disseminate information - these are basic principles of any democratic state and society. They must be strictly adhered to."
Putin was addressing concerns in Russia and abroad over moves this year to tighten regulation of the Internet in Russia, Europe's fastest growing such market, and fears that he might try to disconnect Russia from the global web in an emergency.
Putin has been particularly wary of the Internet since big protests against him in the winter of 2011-2012 were organised on social networks. Many of his most vocal critics are also bloggers.
Opponents say the Kremlin has used new legislation to block the sites of critics and taken steps to increase the security services' ability to keep tabs on them.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a rights watchdog, has underlined those fears by warning that the Kremlin could use proposals to protect Internet users against threats from the West to silence its critics.
- See more at: http://digital.asiaone.com/digital/news/putin-rules-out-internet-curbs-despite-cyber-attacksşthash.IRI8tKLD.dpufPresident Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he would not restrict Internet access for Russians but Moscow must protect state domains against a surge of cyber attacks since the Ukraine crisis began.
His remarks were intended to douse speculation that he plans a crackdown on use of the Internet, which he has called a "CIA project" used to organise protests against him, as tensions mount with the West over the Ukraine crisis.
"We do not intend to limit access to the Internet, to put it under total control, to nationalise the Internet," Putin told a meeting of his advisory Security Council, which groups top state, defence and security officials.
"We are not even considering this," he said. "Media freedoms, the right of people to receive and disseminate information - these are basic principles of any democratic state and society. They must be strictly adhered to."
Putin was addressing concerns in Russia and abroad over moves this year to tighten regulation of the Internet in Russia, Europe's fastest growing such market, and fears that he might try to disconnect Russia from the global web in an emergency.
Putin has been particularly wary of the Internet since big protests against him in the winter of 2011-2012 were organised on social networks. Many of his most vocal critics are also bloggers.
Opponents say the Kremlin has used new legislation to block the sites of critics and taken steps to increase the security services' ability to keep tabs on them.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a rights watchdog, has underlined those fears by warning that the Kremlin could use proposals to protect Internet users against threats from the West to silence its critics.
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