The new law now provides for Russian authorities possibility to disconnect users from the global internet

A new law that went into effect in Russia on Friday takes "internet censorship in Russia to a new level," as DW reported citing press freedom advocacy group Reporters without Borders (RSF).

Actually, now the authorities of the Russian Federation can isolate internet users from the parts of the global network. The law aimed at working Russian network smoothly in the event of a crisis or an external attack.

Digital freedom activist groups such as RSF say the law will allow authorities to block content without telling the public what has been blocked and why.

"It proves that the Russian leadership is ready to bring the entire network infrastructure under political control in order to cut off the digital information flow whenever needed," said Christian Mihr, the executive director of RSF Germany.

"Even if the new regulations may not be fully enforceable, they show how extensively internet freedom is threatened in Russia," Mihr said.

The law has been signed by Russia's President Vladimir Putin in May and thousands of protesters still stand against the law.

An additional feature of the law is the creation of an independent Russian Domain Name System (DNS) that goes into effect in January 2021. The DNS means that Russian users will no longer determine what website they are sent to when they enter an address. The state will thus be able to direct them to fake websites or to none at all.