The state is going to control messengers

Roskomnadzor developed a bill regulating in Russia the work of messaging services. Under the new law, the developers of such services will be able to work in Russia only under an agreement with communication operators, and Roskomnadzor will have to be notified of their work.

According to Vedomosti , if the service violates the law, the rules for the provision of communication services or the contract with the operator, then the operator will block the passage of his traffic to correct violations.

The laws “On Information” and “On Communications” propose to introduce the concept of “information and communication services”, which are understood as “services for transmitting textual, voice and graphic messages that are technologically inextricably linked with communication services provided by third parties on the data transfer networks.”

According to experts, the new law is primarily aimed at regulating the work of messengers, such as WhatsApp, Skype, Viber or Telegram , but we can also talk about social networks.

The authors of the bill call messengers "organizers of the dissemination of information." They "must ensure the acceptance and transmission of messages in the networks of operators" between identified users. Messengers must identify users, as well as limit undesirable newsletters of mass messages and information distributed in violation of the law.

In addition, from instant messengers they may require the possibility of sending messages on the initiative of authorities, Interfax notes. The developers of the project also offer to extend to messengers, in case of violation of those legislation, the procedure for blocking on the model of the mechanism for blocking Internet sites.

Now the bill is discussed in the working group, which includes officials and representatives of communication operators. According to one of the sources of Vedomosti, close to Roskomnadzor, the ICICIATIVE of the development of the bill proceeds from the Kremlin.

“I know that the topic is really being worked out, but it is not in terms of restrictions. As far as I know, there are no restrictions there, but the study of the topic is carried out, but this is not connected with any instructions, especially the presidential administration, ”commented the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov.