Freedom House unfairly ranks Russia 41st in terms of Internet freedom - senator Gattarov
MOSCOW. Oct 8 (Interfax) - Head of the Russian Federation Council information policy committee Ruslan Gattarov said he was ready to provide the Freedom House organization with expert help to compose objective ratings on Russia.
"I was surprised when I found out that, according to Freedom House, our country lost 10 points in the Internet freedom rating in 2013 and was ranked 41st out of 60," Gattarov told Interfax.
According to Freedom House, the states "in which the legislation regulating the Internet is much more strict and comprehensive than in Russia, for example, the United States, France or the UK" are freer in this regard, Gattarov said.
"A fine of up to $1 million and up to 10 years in prison are stipulated in the U.S. Besides, it is absolutely unclear how the information documented - regarding the U.S. special services collecting personal information and other data on citizens in the U.S. as well as in the European Union via the cooperation with the national special services, the UK and Germany included - allowed this country to take such a high place?" Gattarov said.
Gattarov said he also referred to France, where going online not using personal account is punishable with criminal liability and law enforcement authorities have the right to install spy software and to monitor the entire national traffic without obligatory reports.
"The fines for violating personal data go up to 500,000 euro and the prison term is up to five years. Besides, a law has been recently passed banning online book stores who proposed free delivery to customers - this is how it has been decided to resist their development," Gattarov said.
Posts in social networks could be a reason for imprisonment in the UK as well as in the US. A bill of trolling, under which site owners will be obliged to close all information on a user suspected of trolling without a police or court warrant, is currently being considered in the UK, the senator said.
Gattarov said that due to this he sent a letter to Freedom House Head David Kramer proposing to provide the organization with expert help in composing ratings.
"The committee's group of experts will gather and provide the Freedom House head with a wide database on such incidents. And we are ready to provide all necessary consultative and expert help so that Freedom House ratings will be more objective in the future," Gattarov said.
