Russian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) sometimes restrict access to law-abiding web-sites just because they aim to avoid penalties for non-compliance with Roskomnadzor’s order. Russian authority, supervising internet, Roskomnadzor calls such practice “excessive blocking of web-site in internet”. Sometimes web-sites of banks and retailers fall under restriction of access. Such restriction can cause damages.
In some regions of Russia territorial units of Roskomnadzor have sent a letters to ISPs, operating in these regions, describing such practice. Pay attention – these letters stating that practice of excessive blocking exists, like if ISPs were not aware of such practice. Such practice has been revealed during the Roskomnadzor’s random check when the web-sites of Russian federal companies were not available for internet users despite the absence of order to restrict access to them.
Therefore, due to practice of excessive blocking in Russian internet, the Roskomnadzor is intending to check who from ISP practices excessive restriction of access to legal web-sites in Russia. Some ISP don’t block a separate web-site, they block entire group of IP addresses because “some web-sites change their IP addresses very often in order to avoid blocking”. Some ISP make separate network segment with strict filtering system and install there special software in order to formally comply with Russian law.
But there are also positive trends. Roskomnadzor’s chief has endorsed self-regulation of internet platforms. In most cases they delete illegal or forbidden content without any participation from the side of supervising or state authorities. Approximately 70% of all illegal content has been deleted thanks to this self-regulation.