Second class power

On June 24, the State Duma of the Russian Federation in the second and third readings adopted an “anti-terrorist package” of bills that toughen penalties for terrorism and extremism, reduce the age of criminal responsibility for terrorism, and also oblige telecom operators to store data on correspondence and calls of users and provide them to law enforcement agencies without a decision court

Literally at the last moment, the deputies removed from the package of amendments the possibility to deprive the citizenship of people convicted of terrorism. Nevertheless, many adopted amendments can be called cannibalistic. Thus, according to the approved bill, it will be possible to prosecute and imprison teenagers aged 14 to 16 for such acts as promoting extremist activities and not reporting a crime. Why this is done - I do not understand. First, it won't stop anyone. Secondly, children should not be locked up in prison, but rehabilitated. They will also be imprisoned for promoting extremism. That is, you can attract someone who gave a computer to a person who posted some “harmful” picture on the Internet or gave a lift to a participant in an unauthorized action in a car.

The system of recording and storing all telephone calls and correspondence for a period of six months has nothing to do with the fight against terrorism. The adopted amendments will cause enormous damage not only to the business of telecom operators, but also to every Russian. The purchase and maintenance of the necessary equipment will require $50 billion. This will lead to a significant rise in tariffs, and all Russian citizens will have to pay. Instead of creating conditions for competition, entering new markets and improving the quality of service, Internet providers and mobile operators will be forced to engage in outright nonsense. At the same time, one must understand that the special services simply will not be able to process a huge array of data. This is technically impossible. Imagine: more than 140 million people, each of whom speaks on the phone for at least 10-15 minutes every day. Who can use it? Do not forget that even today FSB officers have every opportunity to listen in on any telephone conversations of interest to them. In addition, if a database is created that will store personal correspondence, conversations, photos, videos, all this will sooner or later fall on the black market.

Today, the Russian authorities are dominated by paranoids who believe that people who communicate on the phone are certainly trying to arrange riots.

Today, the Russian government is dominated by paranoids who believe that people who communicate on the phone are certainly trying to arrange mass riots. This means that it is necessary to listen to everyone, to know everything about everyone, to intimidate everyone. Most deputies are completely indifferent to the laws they adopt. They simply vote for decisions taken from above. This is a second-class power, subordinate to the presidential administration.