14 DAY TRIAL // Russia has taken yet another step to block off any attempt to be anonymous on the Internet as the country decided to ban anonymous access to WiFi.
According to news agency Itar Tass, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed an order that bans anonymous access to the Internet in locations that offer WiFi connections, such as restaurants and other public spaces.
Instead, operators will have to identify users with a full name which needs to be confirmed by an ID. Hardware also needs to be identified, although there’s no specific explanation about what this would entail.
In recent months, Russian officials have taken a new stance towards the Internet, where anonymity is seen as a bad thing. The government has even offered a really small money prize for anyone who finds a way to deanonymize the TOR network.
Another controversial move has been the one forcing bloggers with more than 3,000 visitors per day to register with the authorities, effectively forcing them to act as if they’re a media organization, including by refraining from bashing politicians, double checking information, refraining from publishing information that can be considered as hate speech or a call to extremism and so on.
Even worse is perhaps the fact that the Russian secret service has taken it upon itself to spy on social media. On August 1, a new law came into effect, allowing the Federal Security Service (FSB) to keep tabs on people’s online presence.
Social network platforms in Russia need to install hardware and software which allows the secret services to access users’ personal information, RT reports.
This is a grave violation of privacy, but users aren’t that surprised even though they are annoyed with the new law meant to control their online lives. After all, some said, the US does more or less the same way.
Internet companies, such as Yandex and Mail.ru were, however, surprised with the move, although there’s little they can do now but comply.
It is currently unclear how the law will be implemented, but it is obvious that anyone using Russian social networks are soon going to be under the watchful eye of the country’s secret service. Since the entire thing is sanctioned by law, there’s nothing people can do other than complain about it. Unlike in the United States where reform is being planned to force the NSA to stop using legal loops in old laws, Russia gave itself permission to spy out in the open.