Latest news with #Roskomnadzor
Russia Today
30-07-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Russia blocks Speedtest
Russia's media and communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has blocked the internet performance measurement tool Speedtest, run by US-based company Ookla, citing threats to national digital infrastructure. In a statement on Wednesday, the agency said access to the service was restricted 'due to identified threats to the security of the public communication network and the Russian segment of the internet.' Speedtest, one of the most popular internet speed-testing platforms globally, boasts millions of daily users. Roskomnadzor has recommended Russian users switch to a homegrown alternative called ProSet, developed as part of the country's broader push toward digital sovereignty. Russian authorities first signaled a potential ban on Speedtest in October 2024. At the time, the regulator warned the service could be blocked if it was found to compromise the stability, integrity, or safety of domestic networks. The Russian Izvestia newspaper cited a report by industry think tank the International Communications Academy (ICA) that Ookla could be sharing data gathered through testing Russia's digital infrastructure with US intelligence agencies, thus increasing the risk of cyberattacks. The ICA's proposal to ban the service was supported by both the State Duma and the Federal Security Service, the paper noted. The concerns have been echoed by the Public Communications Network Monitoring and Management Center, an entity subordinate to Roskomnadzor. 'The data collected by the US service may be used to plan, organize, conduct, and evaluate the effectiveness of attacks on Russian telecommunications networks, as well as on entities connected to them,' the center stated on Wednesday, as quoted by Vedomosti. The Russian authorities have already fined Ookla twice for violating data localization laws. In July 2022, the Seattle-based company was ordered to pay 1 million rubles (roughly $12,000) for failing to store Russian users' personal data on servers located within the country. A repeat violation led to a second, larger fine of 6 million rubles (about $64,500) in October 2023. The Speedtest ban follows a major cyberattack on Russian airline Aeroflot earlier this week, which disrupted airport operations and led to widespread flight delays. Pro-Ukrainian hacker groups have claimed responsibility for the incident, and a criminal case has been launched.
CNA
30-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
Russia blocks Ookla's online Speedtest service due to internet security threats
Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor said on Wednesday it had blocked the internet performance tool Speedtest, run by U.S. company Ookla, due to what it described as threats to Russia's internet security. Foreign tech companies, including the likes of Alphabet, Meta and Apple, have been under pressure in Russia for several years over the content they distribute and where they store their data. Roskomnadzor said access to Speedtest had been restricted in accordance with a 2020 decree "due to identified threats to the security of public communications network operation and the Russian segment of the internet". Ookla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "Roskomnadzor recommends using trusted Russian services," Roskomnadzor said, naming an application developed in Russia called ProSet, or ProNet in English, that performs similar online speed and signal strength tests. Russia has long sought to establish what it calls digital sovereignty by promoting home-grown services, a push that became more urgent as some Western companies pulled out of the Russian market following Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has blocked social networks like Meta's Instagram and Facebook, sought to slow down the speed of YouTube and has told messaging app WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market, with a new state-controlled messaging app, MAX, preparing to fill the gap. In a report published on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said Russia's government was increasing its technological capacities and control over the country's internet infrastructure, allowing for more widespread blocking and throttling of unwanted websites and censorship circumvention tools. "For years, Russian authorities have been meticulously expanding their legal and technological tools to carve out Russia's section of the internet into a tightly controlled and isolated forum," said Anastasiia Kruope, assistant Europe and Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. Lawmakers have approved a new law that tightens censorship and could have sweeping ramifications for digital privacy, with Russians facing fines if they search online for content Moscow considers "extremist". Human Rights Watch noted that Russians face higher risks of having their personal data passed on to law enforcement.
Reuters
30-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Russia blocks Ookla's online Speedtest service due to internet security threats
July 30 (Reuters) - Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor said on Wednesday it had blocked the internet performance tool Speedtest, run by U.S. company Ookla, due to what it described as threats to Russia's internet security. Foreign tech companies, including the likes of Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab, Meta (META.O), opens new tab and Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab, have been under pressure in Russia for several years over the content they distribute and where they store their data. Roskomnadzor said access to Speedtest had been restricted in accordance with a 2020 decree "due to identified threats to the security of public communications network operation and the Russian segment of the internet". Ookla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "Roskomnadzor recommends using trusted Russian services," Roskomnadzor said, naming an application developed in Russia called ProSet, or ProNet in English, that performs similar online speed and signal strength tests. Russia has long sought to establish what it calls digital sovereignty by promoting home-grown services, a push that became more urgent as some Western companies pulled out of the Russian market following Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has blocked social networks like Meta's Instagram and Facebook, sought to slow down the speed of YouTube and has told messaging app WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market, with a new state-controlled messaging app, MAX, preparing to fill the gap. In a report published on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said Russia's government was increasing its technological capacities and control over the country's internet infrastructure, allowing for more widespread blocking and throttling of unwanted websites and censorship circumvention tools. "For years, Russian authorities have been meticulously expanding their legal and technological tools to carve out Russia's section of the internet into a tightly controlled and isolated forum," said Anastasiia Kruope, assistant Europe and Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. Lawmakers have approved a new law that tightens censorship and could have sweeping ramifications for digital privacy, with Russians facing fines if they search online for content Moscow considers "extremist". Human Rights Watch noted that Russians face higher risks of having their personal data passed on to law enforcement. Russia's digital development ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Human Rights Watch report.
Russia Today
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Russia Today
Russian MPs vote to ban films over ‘traditional values'
Russia's lower house of parliament has approved a law that bans licenses for movies seen as discrediting or denying 'traditional values.' If adopted by the upper house and signed into law by the president, the measure will take effect in March 2026, according to the State Duma's official website. In 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a decree listing 17 traditional values – such as patriotism, dignity, and strong family – as central to Russia's state policy. Intended to preserve national identity, the move pushes back against what the Kremlin sees as Western moral decline. The new law will allow authorities to deny or revoke rental certificates for movies that undermine 'traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.' The Culture Ministry will be able to revoke licenses for films that violate the law, while media watchdog Roskomnadzor can order streaming platforms and social networks to take down such content within 24 hours. Critics have warned that even cherished Soviet-era classics could be endangered by the new law. One notable example is 'The Irony of Fate', a film traditionally watched by Russians on New Year's Eve, which features a storyline where a woman leaves her fiancé to spend the night with a stranger. Though not directly tied to demographics, the law comes amid growing concern over falling birth rates. Lawmakers have responded with proposals including tax breaks, abortion limits, and a crackdown on child-free ideology. Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova warned of a looming fertility crisis due to a declining number of women of childbearing age, and President Vladimir Putin has said the fertility rate must reach 2.1 within five years to reverse the trend. Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the State Duma, has stressed that 'Russia's demographic issues cannot be resolved without reinforcing the family institution and upholding traditional values.' In July, Russian MP Vitaly Milonov, a staunch supporter of 'traditional Russian values' and vocal critic of the 'child-free' ideology, proposed banning childless women from films. He argues that portraying strong, independent women without children encourages Russians to delay marriage and childbirth.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia's State Duma passes bill to create state messaging app as it considers blocking WhatsApp
The State Duma, the lower chamber of Russia's parliament, passed a bill on June 10 to create a new messaging app, the so-called "national messenger," the Duma's press service reported, as the Kremlin tries to reduce its dependency on WhatsApp and Telegram The new app "combines the features of a messenger and the functions of government services," a statement read. The news comes as Russia tries to reduce citizens' access to foreign messengers and other online services in favor of domestic applications. The new online platform is needed to increase "the availability of governmental services" and "strengthen the protection of information exchanged among users," according to the bill. The new application will be integrated into Russian state and municipal databases, and private information can be transferred with the user's consent, particularly for "identification, signing contracts, paying for services or goods." Documents submitted through the "national messenger" will be equated to paper originals. The system will also allow users to certify documents with their electronic signatures. The Russian messenger will include all "educational services and chats that educational institutions of all levels currently use." The Russian government will choose a company to develop the application. In March 2022, the Russian government blocked Facebook and Instagram. Two years later, Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, announced the blocking of Viber and Signal apps. The Russian government is also considering blocking WhatsApp, an app owned by Meta, a company labeled as an "extremist organization" in Russia. In July 2024, Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, began throttling YouTube speeds, initially blaming technical issues caused by wear and tear on Google's servers. Google dismissed the claim, while Russian lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein later confirmed the slowdowns were intentional. Read also: In African universities, Russia's war against Ukraine finds new supporters We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
