31 Jan 2019 14:08

Duma deputy says he fears Russia might be disconnected from Internet

MOSCOW. Jan 31 (Interfax) - Russia's disconnection from the Internet is a possibility as international tensions rise, according to Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies, and Communication Leonid Levin.

"The calls to increase pressure on our country being made in the West oblige us to think about additional ways to protect Russian sovereignty in cyber-space," Levin said at Infoforum 2019 on Thursday.

"Russia's disconnection from the worldwide web is one possible scenario amid the escalation of international tensions," he said.

A bill that the State Duma is working on to build a national traffic-routing system to ensure the access of Russian users to the Internet irrespective of what happens outside Russia is intended to deal with this challenge, Levin said.

Russian IT companies have achieved a lot in the field of encrypted information systems for government agencies and strategic facilities, he said.

However, the stable, fast, and safe operation of the Russian segment of the Internet must be ensured for the sake of the sustainable development of the digital economy, Levin said.