A couple of months ago, Russia planned to isolate itself from the world and create its own sovereign internet. Now, the plan (in the form of a new law) has been officialized, and we have the new Sovereign Internet law.

The “Sovereign Internet” Law

The previously-proposed law has finally gone official. As a reminder, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the bill, along with a couple of lawmakers.

The law will ensure that Russia has its internet infrastructure, which will serve as a security tool to safeguard the country in case of cybersecurity issues or during civil unrest.

To put things in perspective, Russia will now control the use of the internet, and Moscow will have full control over this infrastructure.

The country will have its national system of domain names, and web traffic will be routed through internet infrastructure that will be developed under the law.

The Law’s Repercussions

While Russia claims that the law will help with the country’s security, I am not sure if it is meant to do so. Of course, once Russia has its cyberspace, it will have full control of what goes on in its “sovereign internet.”

The country’s full control will restrict the way a person uses the internet, thus hindering users’ freedom of speech and expression.

Additionally, the law will lead to stringent online censorship of content, and even the ban of apps, much like China.

Many protesters even opposed the law (when proposed).

To clear the air, although the law is made official, a proper framework still needs to be out. Hence, we will have to wait until more information regarding it pops up.

So stay tuned to Fossbytes for more information on the same.