MOSCOW (Reuters) - Thousands of people took to the streets of Moscow and two other cities on Sunday to rally against tighter internet restrictions, in some of the biggest protests in the Russian capital in years.

People shout slogans during a rally to protest against tightening state control over internet in Moscow, Russia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov

Lawmakers last month backed tighter internet controls contained in legislation they say is necessary to prevent foreign meddling in Russia’s affairs. But some Russian media likened it to an online “iron curtain” and critics say it can be used to stifle dissent.

People gathered in a cordoned off Prospekt Sakharova street in Moscow, made speeches on a stage and chanted slogans such as “hands off the internet” and “no to isolation, stop breaking the Russian internet”.

The rally gathered around 15,300 people, according to White Counter, an NGO that counts participants at rallies. Moscow police put the numbers at 6,500.

“If we do nothing it will get worse. The authorities will keep following their own way and the point of no return will be passed”, said 28-year-old protester Dmitry, who declined to give his full name.

Opposition activists said on Twitter that police had detained 15 people at the Moscow rally, confiscating their banners and balloons. Police have not announced any detentions.

The protests in Moscow, the southern city of Voronezh and Khabarovsk in the far east had all been officially authorized. A handful of activists in St. Petersburg took to the streets without the authorities’ consent.

Russia has in recent years attempted to curb internet freedoms by blocking access to certain websites and messaging services such as Telegram.

February’s bill passed in the Russian parliament on the first reading out of three.

It seeks to route Russian web traffic and data through points controlled by the state and proposes building a national Domain Name System to allow the internet to continue functioning even if the country is cut off from foreign infrastructure.

The second reading is planned in March after which, if passed, the bill will need to be signed by the upper house of the parliament and then by President Vladimir Putin.

The legislation is part of a drive by officials to increase Russian “sovereignty” over its Internet segment.

Russia has introduced tougher internet laws in recent years, requiring search engines to delete some search results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services and social networks to store Russian users’ personal data on servers within the country.</s>Thousands of people took to the streets of Moscow and two other cities on Sunday to rally against tighter internet restrictions, in some of the biggest protests in the Russian capital in years.</s>Russians, fearing digital isolation and more censorship on the horizon, gathered in the streets of Moscow and other cities on Sunday to protest a new bill calling for Russia to be cut off from the global Internet.

Media outlets have described the protests in the capital as "some of the biggest" in years.

At the heart of protesters' objections was the sovereign Internet bill, which has been wending its way through the Russian Parliament. The measure would require data between users to be rerouted internally, as opposed to being sent to servers abroad. Lawmakers have argued that the legislation is necessary to protect the country from foreign aggression.

Critics disagree. "The government is battling freedom, including freedom on the internet, I can tell you this as somebody who spent a month in jail for a tweet," activist Sergei Boiko told a crowd in Moscow, according to Agence France-Presse.

Police made about two dozen arrests and seized balloons they determined to be "unmanned flying vehicles," NPR's Lucian Kim reports.

The Libertarian Party called for the protest in central Moscow.

Rallies were also held in St. Petersburg, Voronezh and Khabarovsk, Reuters reported. Protesters chanted "Hands off the Internet" and "No to isolation."

Lawmakers are expected to deliberate on the bill later in March. Eventually, the legislation will need to be signed into law by President Vladimir Putin.

It "will surely be approved," Russian journalist Andrei Soldatov tells NPR. He expects there will only be minor changes to the measure in parliament. "The main thing – to give the government the option to isolate a particular region or the country in time of a crisis, is to be preserved, for sure."

He adds that two industry giants, Yandex and Mail.ru, support the proposal. "It's the first legislation which has its costs placed on the government, not the companies," he says.

The rallies follow other controversial bills that Russia's parliament recently passed. The legislation allows courts to fine citizens up to $3,000 or jail them for 15 days for showing "disrespect" online to government officials. Authorities could also force websites to remove content deemed as fake news.

The Internet tightening tactics are seen by some as a way to control public discourse, especially as Putin's approval rating has fallen more than 20 percent from 2014 to 2019, according to the Levada Center polling.

Last year, communications oversight agency Roskomnadzor "waged a battle" against messaging app Telegram, Human Rights Watch said. The company refused to comply with an order to provide encryption keys which would enable authorities to read users' messaging data.

When the government tried to ban Telegram, Russians took to the streets. As part of their protest, they threw paper planes, the symbol for Telegram. The company evaded the government's block by domain fronting, concealing the traffic's true source with a domain that isn't restricted.</s>Thousands of people in Russia have protested against plans to introduce tighter restrictions on the internet. A mass rally in Moscow and similar demonstrations in two other cities were called after parliament backed the controversial bill last month.

The government says the bill, which allows it to isolate Russia’s internet service from the rest of the world, will improve cyber-security. But campaigners say it is an attempt to increase censorship and stifle dissent.</s>Over 15,000 people protest in Moscow after Russian government moves to tighten control of Internet

Legislation designed to tighten controls of the Internet in Russia, drew thousands of protesters onto the street of Moscow at the weekend.

The legislation has already been approved by Russian lawmakers, but has to pass through a couple of other stages before it becomes law.

Russia is not the only country seeking to tighten online controls, with a number of Western countries already implementing tighter controls. The UK for example passed the controversial Investigatory Powers Act, commonly known as the Snoopers’ Charter, into law back in 2016.

Russian lawmakers on the other hand last month backed tighter internet controls contained in legislation they believe is necessary to prevent foreign meddling in Russia’s affairs.

According to Reuters, officials are seeking to increase Russian “sovereignty” over its Internet presence.

The legislation wants to route Russian web traffic and data through points controlled by the Russian government.

The bill also proposes building a national Domain Name System to allow the internet to continue functioning even if the country is cut off from foreign infrastructure.

The bill has reportedly also been passed in the Russian parliament on the first reading out of three. A second reading will take place in March, and if it passes again, the upper house of the parliament will need to sign it off, before President Vladimir Putin officially rubber stamps it.

But an estimated 15,300 people protested at the weekend in Moscow and reportedly made speeches on a stage and chanted slogans such as “hands off the internet” and “no to isolation, stop breaking the Russian internet”.

“If we do nothing it will get worse. The authorities will keep following their own way and the point of no return will be passed”, said 28-year-old protester Dmitry, who declined to give his full name to Reuters.

Moscow authorities said the protest only involved 6,500 people, and a number of arrests are said to have taken place.

Other authorised protests took place in the cities of Voronezh and Khabarovsk. An unauthorised protest took place in St. Petersburg.

Russia it should be remembered has already banned the use of messaging app Telegram in the country.

That decision was taken by Russian authorities after the app refused to give Russian state security services access to its users’ secret messages by handing over encryption keys used to scramble the messages.

And Russia’s regulator Roskomnadzor (RKN) has for some now been pressuring foreign social networking firms such as Facebook, to store user data on servers located within Russian jurisdiction.

It has also passed laws to require search engines to delete some search results.

Do you know all about IT and the law? Take our quiz.</s>Activists in Russia have kicked off demonstrations against a new bill, which its critics say is part of an effort by President Vladimir Putin's government to increase state control over the Internet and facilitate censorship.

Several dozen people rallied in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk on March 10 to protest against the proposed legislation. Backers of the bill say it is designed to ensure the operation of the Internet in the country if access to servers abroad is cut off.

Activists later gathered on Moscow’s Sakharov Avenue for a sanctioned rally.

Protest actions were also scheduled in the western city of Voronezh and other Russian cities.

The so-called "sovereign Internet" bill, which passed in the first reading in the lower chamber of Russia’s parliament on February 12, faces two more votes in the State Duma before heading to the upper house.

Aleksandr Isavnin of the Roskomsvoboda movement, one of the organizers of the planned, sanctioned rally on Moscow’s Sakharov Avenue, told RFE/RL: “Our state has paid attention to the fact that the Internet is being used to freely exchange information, including by opposition forces, and therefore it wants very much to put it under control.”

The name Roskomsvoboda is short for Russian Freedom Committee and plays off Roskomnadzor, the name of the state communications, Internet, and media oversight agency.

Nikolai Lyaskin, an aide to opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, called the bill yet another step by the authorities to "tighten the screws" on Internet freedom, and urged the Russians to rally against “this madness.”

The bill reflects persistent tension between Russia and the West, where governments have accused Moscow of using cyberattacks and social-media activity to sow discord abroad and increase its global clout.

Proponents say it aims to make what they call the Russian segment of the Internet more independent, and argue that the legislation is needed to guard Russia against potential cyberattacks.

The bill calls for the creation of a system that would protect Russia in the event of cyberwar while also filtering Internet traffic to the country, but there has been debate about how realistic that is and how much it would cost.</s>This weekend saw thousands of people take to the streets of Moscow and two other cities to rally against tighter internet restrictions, in some of the biggest protests in the Russian capital in years.

Politicians last month backed tighter internet controls contained in legislation they say is necessary to prevent foreign meddling in Russia’s affairs.

But some Russian media likened it to an online “iron curtain” and critics say it can be used to stifle dissent.

IN-DEPTH: What if the internet suddenly stopped?

People gathered in a cordoned Moscow street on Sunday made speeches on a stage and chanted slogan such as “hands off the internet” and “no to isolation, stop breaking the Russian internet”.

About 15,300 people attended the rally, according to White Counter, an NGO that counts participants at rallies. Moscow police put the numbers at 6500.

“If we do nothing it will get worse. The authorities will keep following their own way and the point of no return will be passed,” said 28-year-old protester Dmitry, who declined to give his full name.

Opposition activists said on Twitter that police had detained 15 people at the Moscow rally, confiscating their banners and balloons.

The protests in Moscow, the southern city of Voronezh and Khabarovsk in the far east had all been officially authorised. A handful of activists in St. Petersburg took to the streets without the authorities’ consent.

Russia has in recent years attempted to curb internet freedoms by blocking access to certain websites and messaging services such as Telegram. February’s bill passed in the Russian parliament on the first reading out of three.

It seeks to route Russian web traffic and data through points controlled by the state and proposes building a national Domain Name System to allow the internet to continue functioning even if the country is cut off from foreign infrastructure.

The second reading is planned in March after which, if passed, the bill will need to be signed by the upper house of the parliament and then by President Vladimir Putin.

The legislation is part of a drive by officials to increase Russian “sovereignty” over its internet segment.

Russia tought internet laws require search engines to delete some search results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services and social networks to store Russian users’ personal data on servers within the country.

But on Monday, Moscow insisted it was not moving to cut off the county’s internet from the rest of the world, following protests across the country over plans to curb online freedoms.

“Everyone is in favour of internet freedom -- the authors of the bill, the presidential administration and the government,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

“No one is suggesting cutting the internet or limiting the opportunity to work on the World Wide Web,” he said, adding that protesters were suffering from “delusions”.

Russian authorities have also used “anti-extremism” laws to prosecute people who share posts that are critical of the regime, or in some cases simply humorous.</s>MOSCOW (Reuters) – Thousands of people took to the streets of Moscow and two other cities on Sunday to rally against tighter internet restrictions, in some of the biggest protests in the Russian capital in years.

+ Some folks may think that I am alarmist about hostile regimes infiltrating into otherwise good, decent democracies.*

But I ask you: Is this what we want?

* Please note that I am not referring to the legal immigration of newcomers hoping to make an honest living which democratic countries have always and continue to benefit from.</s>Russian internet users and the media have warned of a new online "iron curtain" brought about by tough new controls critics say will stifle dissent.

The anger has been growing in recent weeks, and in the latest protests, thousands of people took to the streets of Moscow and two other cities to rally against the proposed changes.

Politicians last month backed the tighter internet controls contained in legislation they say is necessary to prevent foreign meddling in Russia's affairs.

People gathered in a cordoned off Prospekt Sakharova street in Moscow, made speeches on a stage and chanted slogans such as "hands off the internet" and "no to isolation, stop breaking the Russian internet".

Moscow police put the numbers at 6,500 but there were some estimates that put the number higher than 15,000 protesters.

Opposition activists said on Twitter that police had detained 15 people at the Moscow rally, confiscating their banners and balloons. Police have not announced any detentions.

The protests in Moscow, the southern city of Voronezh, and Khabarovsk in the far east had all been officially authorised. A handful of activists in St Petersburg took to the streets without the authorities' consent.

Russia has in recent years attempted to curb internet freedoms by blocking access to certain websites and messaging services such as Telegram.

February's bill passed in the Russian parliament on the first reading out of three.

It seeks to route Russian web traffic and data through points controlled by the state and proposes building a national domain name system to allow the internet to continue functioning even if the country is cut off from foreign infrastructure.

The second reading is planned this month and, if passed, the bill will need to be signed by the Upper House of the Parliament and then by President Vladimir Putin.

The legislation is part of a drive by officials to increase Russian "sovereignty" over its internet segment.

Russia has introduced tougher internet laws in recent years, requiring search engines to delete some search results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services and social networks to store Russian users' personal data on servers within the country.</s>FULL INTERVIEW: UNSW’s Canberra Cyber director has told Sky News a breach of the parliamentary computing network was ‘definitely a nation-state’, with the most likely culprit to be China. Nigel Phair says it’s too early to know if information was lifted during a hack, how long the perpetrators spent in the network or what they were searching for. He says the government is dealing with ‘top end’ cybercriminals who can infiltrate a network and leave no trace that data was stolen.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Moscow and two other cities to rally against tighter internet restrictions, in some of the biggest protests in the Russian capital in years.

It comes as the politicians move to have the country’s internet traffic routed through servers in Russia. The government wants 95 per cent of all internet services rerouted internally before next year.

Moscow has denied it’s planning to cut off the internet from the rest of the world. It says move is important prevent foreign meddling in Russia’s affairs.

But some Russian media likened it to an online “iron curtain” and critics say it can be used to stifle dissent.

IN-DEPTH: What if the internet suddenly stopped?

People gathered in a cordoned Moscow street on Sunday, made speeches on a stage and chanted slogan such as “hands off the internet” and “no to isolation, stop breaking the Russian internet”.

About 15,300 people attended the rally, according to White Counter, an NGO that counts participants at rallies. Moscow police put the numbers at 6500.

“If we do nothing it will get worse. The authorities will keep following their own way and the point of no return will be passed,” said 28-year-old protester Dmitry, who declined to give his full name.

Opposition activists said on Twitter that police had detained 15 people at the Moscow rally, confiscating their banners and balloons.

The protests in Moscow, the southern city of Voronezh and Khabarovsk in the far east had all been officially authorised. A handful of activists in St. Petersburg took to the streets without the authorities’ consent.

Russia has in recent years attempted to curb internet freedoms by blocking access to certain websites and messaging services such as Telegram. February’s bill passed in the Russian parliament on the first reading out of three.

It seeks to route Russian web traffic and data through points controlled by the state and proposes building a national Domain Name System to allow the internet to continue functioning even if the country is cut off from foreign infrastructure.

The second reading is planned in March after which, if passed, the bill will need to be signed by the upper house of the parliament and then by President Vladimir Putin.

The legislation is part of a drive by officials to increase Russian “sovereignty” over its internet segment.

Russia tough internet laws require search engines to delete some search results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services and social networks to store Russian users’ personal data on servers within the country.

But on Monday, Moscow insisted it was not moving to cut off the county’s internet from the rest of the world following the protests.

“Everyone is in favour of internet freedom -- the authors of the bill, the presidential administration and the government,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

“No one is suggesting cutting the internet or limiting the opportunity to work on the World Wide Web,” he said, adding that protesters were suffering from “delusions”.

Russian authorities have also used “anti-extremism” laws to prosecute people who share posts that are critical of the regime, or in some cases simply humorous.
Thousands of Russians take to the streets in Moscow, Voronezh, and Khabarovsk to protest internet restrictions.