Google.ru’s temporary ban should serve as reminder to others

MOSCOW   - A brief ban of Google’s Russian edition should serve as a reminder that even Internet giants are not guaranteed against suspension if they deal with prohibited content, a senior Russian lawmaker has said.

Earlier on Thursday, www.google.ru was included into the single registry of websites, banned for containing prohibited information. By the time Russian internet service providers started to enforce the ban, the notification was removed. A spokesman for Russia’s telecom and IT watchdog Roskomnadzor, Vadim Ampelonsky, told TASS that one of pages redirected traffic to a website with banned information, namely a page of a bookmaker’s office, blocked upon a request from the Federal Tax Service. Access was restored once the issue was fixed several hours later.

Leonid Levin, who heads the State Duma’s committee on information policies, IT and communications, said the move was neither a mistake nor a provocation by hackers.

"The fuss around this issue once again shows how sensitive this issue is for citizens and media. This should serve as a warning for web companies that will make them choose their partners with greater responsibility," the lawmaker added.

"It all shows that no one is viewed as untouchable in the Russian legal domain, and even major Internet players should not abuse their position and avoid dealings with websites engaged in illegal activities," the committee’s press service quoted Levin as saying.

The lawmaker expressed his support for Roskomnadzor chief Alexander Zharov’s initiative of setting a special working group within the framework of the State Duma’s committee on information policies, IT and communications, charged with legal aspects of removing prohibited content. (TASS) posted by Becky D. de Asis- The Redline News PH)