“This order takes effect on March 1, 2024 and is valid until September 1, 2029,” the document says.
The project modifies the current order RKN No. 25 of February 27, 2022, which lists the criteria for entering certain materials on the Internet into the Unified Register of Prohibited Information and, if not removed, the restrictions on access to them on the territory . of the Russian Federation.
In particular, the draft order deals with the criteria for evaluating “information on the forms and methods of providing access to information resources and (or) to information and telecommunications networks, access to which is limited on the territory of the Russian Federation”, the presence of one or more of which will allow the RKN to make a decision on adding pages and sites to its registry.
These criteria are: the availability of information that contains “a description of the actions that allow access”, “give an idea of the methods, methods of providing access”, as well as “encourage the use of methods, methods of providing access” . to resources blocked in the Russian Federation.
Additionally, the criteria include: the presence of information “aimed at persuading the attractiveness of using methods, methods” to bypass blocking, “justifying the advantages of using” these methods and methods, as well as “containing an offer to acquire access to information”. and (or) an information resource, including a program for electronic computers (EVM – IF), which allows you to access blocked resources or networks in the Russian Federation. The seventh criterion was “the availability of information that provides the opportunity to access, including by downloading computer programs,” blocked resources or networks in the Russian Federation.
The draft order stipulates that these criteria do not apply “in relation to scientific, scientific-technical and statistical information on the forms and methods of providing access to information resources and (or) to information and telecommunications networks, the Access is limited on the territory of the Russian Federation.”
On July 31, the President of the Russian Federation signed a federal law according to which information on how to avoid blocking of information resources established in the Russian Federation, provided on Internet sites, will become the basis to include said site or domain. in the Unified Register of Prohibited Information of the RKN.
According to the deputy head of the State Duma Information Policy Committee, Anton Gorelkin, it is necessary to limit access to such resources, without limiting the use of VPN technology as such.
“If this or that site describes how to access child pornography, pedophile propaganda, drug information, descriptions of suicides and other resources prohibited by law, it should also be blocked,” Gorelkin said on his Telegram channel.
The deputy noted that today many VPN services are used not for their intended purpose, but as a way to avoid blocking illegal content. “In addition, many people position themselves this way and some VPN services are directly funded by the governments of hostile countries and do not hide it,” Gorelkin believes. The deputy is convinced that these services should also be blocked “as well as the sites that indicate in detail where to download said software and how to configure it.”
