The Russian State Duma on Wednesday passed a bill in its third and final reading, allowing the federal media watchdog to block social media sites such as Youtube, Facebook.
Under the bill, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) is authorised to block access to websites, either fully or partially.
According to the bill, the state service might block websites if found to "restrict important information on Russian territory or contradict state media coverage of foreign sanctions against Russia or its citizens."
Such internet platforms would be added to a "blacklist of websites involved in violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms of Russian citizens."
Critics have accused Russian authorities of following in China’s footsteps by seeking heavier internet restrictions and a separate Russian internet.
On Monday, Russian federal media watchdog has accused YouTube of circulating more fake news than any other foreign platform on the Russian internet.
Roskomnadzor’s statement came a day after Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny published a video to YouTube that shows him tricking an alleged Federal Security Service (FSB) agent into admitting the details of the opposition figure’s poisoning. The FSB called the video "fake" and a "provocation."
Russia Already Blocked More than 1,000 Publications on Coronavirus
The Communications Agency also reported that in the year 2020, it blocked more than 1,000 inaccurate publications on the coronavirus in Russia. The agency said it blocked "fake reports about the deliberate spread of the virus through testing and vaccination as well as false infection and death statistics."
According to human rights groups, the data of confirmed COVID-19 cases and mortality rates released by the so-called Russian authorities in the occupied Crimea, are significantly underreported.
