While declaring the demise of the West, Russian President Vladimir Putin is close to enacting sweeping new powers to regulate the Web and block sites of his government’s choosing. He has received support from Natalya Kaspersky, chief executive of InfoWatch, who said that the Web could use some government control and that civil libertarians are exaggerating concerns about Putin’s control of speech on the Internet. For those people signing up with InfoWatch, it may come as a bit of a surprise that the company is aligned with a man who is rolling back on basic civil liberties for millions and working to limit speech on the Internet — a threat to his authoritarian agenda. Kaspersky actually heralds the possible benefits of a Russian blacklist controlled by Putin.
While InfoWatch does not see any problem at all with such government control, civil liberties and good government groups have risen in opposition to the greatest threat to free speech in Russia since Putin took over control.
Unlike InfoWatch, other sites have stood up to Putin. Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, shut its Russian Web site with a large warning on its home page: “Imagine a world without free knowledge.” The notice said the proposed law “can lead to the creation of extrajudicial censorship of the Internet in Russia, including the closure of access to Wikipedia.”
The new law is part of an overall crackdown on free speech and assembly of Putin critics. After tightening control over television and newspaper reporting, the Putin regime still faces a free Internet where citizens can receive uncensored news. The Putin bill would correct that and is moving through the Putin controlled Duma. In addition to giving the government control, it would establish a registry or so-called “black list” of Internet content that is prohibited for publication. It would also create procedures for barring Web hosting companies that do not block the banned material.
None of this concerns Natalya Kaspersky, chief executive of InfoWatch which provides data protection services. She dismissed the concerns of civil libertarians and cannot understand fears about Putin control over the Internet: “We might argue if such ‘black list’ approach is efficient in the modern Internet assuming the sites might quickly move to another address. However, it is better than nothing.” Nothing of course means unrestricted free speech — apparently a frightful thought to the InfoWatch CEO. Kaspersky warns “Right now we have a tremendous freedom of speech in mass media, with no prohibited topics at all.” Perish the thought, “no prohibited topics at all.” What will come of us?
A curious position for a company that insists “your data is your business.” Your business and of course Vladimir Putin’s business.
Source: NY Times
sssshhhhh!….let’s pretend it isn’t happening here……
rafflaw 1, July 11, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Mike A.,
The scary thought that I had was maybe the Kapersky family is producing products more in keeping with their political views. I have always wondered if the viruses we spend money to prevent are actually created by the companies set up to “protect” us.
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The Kapersky family is nada because the King Caper family here (the Keystone Kops) have orders of magnitude more money for this kind of thing.
We are number one by FAR in money spent for doing these types of bully things.
We come from a long line of bullies.
Doesn’t surprise me at all. After all, we have, with our willing loss of civil liberties in the guise of security, become what the Soviet Union was during the Cold War. I guess the only surprising thing about this is that people seem to be surprised by it.
Frankly,
The companies being hacked rarely admit it. The hackers don’t need to be given control, they take it.
Raff – this is my area of expertise. The rumor has been around for years that the AV companies have a vested interest in creating new & better virii. I have had an opportunity to work inside a couple of these outfits. The fact is they don’t need to spend any time developing malware, every time they kill one there are thousands of people banging away on thousands of systems to figure out how to exploit what ever is left – and there is always something left for the clever who can see how to abuse features in ways the developer never dreamed of.
But you really are at their mercy since you don’t know what they are actually doing with your system when you give them control.I’d only deal with reputable companies & K just took a big step backwards,
Mike A,
How many countries still have the smallpox virus? Weaponized. Is there an antidote?
rafflaw:
I hadn’t thought of that. You definitely have a conspiratorial mindset. It’s like the mad scientist who creates the deadly virus–and the only antidote.
Lucky for us we don’t have Russia’s problem. We can’t lose our civil liberties.
We have President Obama.
An aside,
The Assistant Chief Union Steward for NTEU Chapter 1 told me “the managers are above the law.” I think I mentioned this in an earlier post some time ago.
Does that mean you’re below the law? Federal managers are above the law? Do the transgression.
Mike A.,
The scary thought that I had was maybe the Kapersky family is producing products more in keeping with their political views. I have always wondered if the viruses we spend money to prevent are actually created by the companies set up to “protect” us.
Frankly makes a good point. I would not find it particularly reassuring to be relying on an anti-virus product manufactured by an anti-democratic ideologue. Perhaps the Kaspersky family should concentrate their efforts on producing products more in keeping with their political views. Indeed, perhaps Kaspersky products should not find a home in this country at all.
Well said Mike A!
You can take the man out of the KGB, but you can’t take the KGB out of the man.
You are correct Mespo! If W. saw the good in Putin’s eyes..how can we complain?
Yet is correct. They were pissed because I was sending publicly available information posted on the internet. What is the agenda? Who gets controlled next?
They were offended and indignant that I was sending publicly available public notices posted on the internet. Control of the underlings is the issue. Your own personal fiefdom? Machiavelli, anyone? Is Karl Rove still around?
Vlad and Natalya? I think its time we called on the moose and squirrel to help us out here!
Seriously though every time I think the US is running off the rails something like this pops up that makes me think we don’t have it that bad . . . yet. I also wonder about the advisability of using Kaspersky anti-virus product. Its good but can you trust it?
a threat to his authoritarian agenda.
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Don’t send a public notice posted on the 7th Circuit website to certain federal employees who might be interested in that subject. Public notice, what is that for.
You might have to go to court twelve times.
Even though the bully religion is rampant, and there is fierce competition for first place from Putin, here in the U.S.eh? we have nothing to worry about:
(Homeland Big Brother). It does not matter who has the largest homeland infrastructure with which to police the populace, what really matters is whether or not the people care about being “policed”.
“What, me worry?”
Raff:
Have no fear. George W saw in into Putin’s eyes and felt the benevolence of his soul. Who are we to dispute that — facts to the contrary be damned. The man saw it didn’t he?
I hear the Soviet Union calling!