Russian State Duma Adopts Internet Censorship Law

The lower house (Duma) of Russia's parliament approved legislation to allow the government to block blacklisted websites, a move criticized by internet freedom activists who say the law could be used to crack down on dissent. The Duma committee that drafted the bill says it is necessary to combat websites that carry child pornography, drug promotion material and advice on suicide. The law provides for creation of a federal agency to decide which websites should be closed down. The head of the committee, Yelena Mizulina, said that critics of the bill were falsely accusing the authorities of censorship. “There is no censorship here,” she said. The bill will now go to the upper house and could enter into law on January 1, 2013.

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