Russian state censor meets with Wikipedia editors

The Russian government's media watchdog agency, Roskomnadzor, is meeting with Wikipedia editors today to discuss approaches to editing articles on the website, according to an announcement on the agency's Facebook page. The purpose of the meeting is reportedly to avoid the potential necessity of blocking Wikipedia in Russia.

Roskomnadzor says it has been closely monitoring edits to Wikipedia articles that contain "prohibited information."

Russians censors have also published a list of four Wikipedia articles that the Federal Drug Control Service has determined to be illegal. The articles in question are said to contain instructions for the manufacture and use of illegal drugs.

“We considered it necessary to consult the Federal Drug Control Service about the edited [Wikipedia] articles, to determine if the information therein meets the demands of specialists,” Roskomnadzor said.

Roskomnadzor