Russian ministry of communication (MinCom) has improved draft law about liability for circumvention of blocking web-sites. Now it is intended to penalize communication operators if they explain how to circumvent blocking of web-site and receive access to it on a “cork-page” of blocked and included in Roskomndzor’s “black list” web-site.
“We believe it must be punishable when communication operator explains on a “cork-page”, stating that web-site is blocked, how to circumvent this blocking. In this case it is not restriction of access, it is mockery”, – says Volin. For such “mockery” it is provided fines for officials up to 5 thousands roubles and for entrepreneurs up to 30 thousands roubles and for legal entities up to 100 thousands roubles. The same fines are provided in a case if operator does not comply with order to block certain web-page or web-site.
Some operators already have informed their customers on a cork-page how to get access to blocked web-site. Independent lawyer Anton Bogatov believes communication operators are interested to inform their customers about means of circumvention, otherwise they can be accused of providing a services of improper quality, they just try to explain to everyone that it is Roskomnadzor’s fault that web-site is blocked and they have nothing to do about. Some already sell places on these cork-pages for advertisement. The law does not regulate what exactly must be placed on a cork-page or how cork-page should look.