U.S. Tech Firms Face Showdown with Russian Censors

The cold war is long gone and for a time, it looked like Russia was going the way of its democratic neighbors, but something changed all of that. Russia is now preparing to trade blows with three of the US’s largest social media companies, all at the same time, over censorship and the right to freedom of speech.

Until now, companies have often complied with Russia’s legal orders to remove content, rather than risk a government blackout. But the firms have become more wary as the government has given itself new powers to regulate the Internet. And the very public nature of this episode leaves the U.S. tech companies facing a dilemma.

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I feel that the internet should be open to everything and all...BUT at the same time, why the fuck should any government allow, in their interpretation of the law, criminal activities on the 'net? You fking warmongers in the US think that the internet is beyond control need to take a few steps back. There is absolutely NO difference in how the governments in either side of the atlantic ocean sees things, in the US you have NSA breathing down on your necks, in Russia , the FSB. So please...chill the fuck out.

Disclaimer; I only read what Steve wrote. I'm not clicking on such an obvious clickbait

Zuul said:

I feel that the internet should be open to everything and all...BUT at the same time, why the fuck should any government allow, in their interpretation of the law, criminal activities on the 'net? You fking warmongers in the US think that the internet is beyond control need to take a few steps back. There is absolutely NO difference in how the governments in either side of the atlantic ocean sees things, in the US you have NSA breathing down on your necks, in Russia , the FSB. So please...chill the fuck out.

Disclaimer; I only read what Steve wrote. I'm not clicking on such an obvious clickbait

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I agree the WSJ rarely qualifies as objective journalism, but in this case you might want to read the first part of the clickbait. It sounds like more of an internal Russian political conflict, U.S. tech firms are simply stuck in the middle of it:

"Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and Google Inc. have started resisting Russian government orders to remove information about a rally next month in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, raising the prospect of a showdown over the Kremlin’s efforts to control online information.

In response to a request from Russian prosecutors, Roskomnadzor, the country’s communications regulator, began issuing block orders for Russia just hours after the Moscow rally was publicized on social media late last week, officials said. Facebook honored the initial order last weekend and blocked a page promoting the event, but others were quickly created, attracting more attention.

Since then, Facebook has left the other pages promoting the rally active in Russia, including one that shows more than 32,000 users indicating they will attend. Facebook lawyers are reviewing a growing number of Russian government removal requests, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Twitter Inc. confirmed that it has received multiple directives since last week from Russian authorities to remove tweets and accounts that promote the rally, citing a prosecutorial order under Russian federal law. But a Twitter spokesman said the company has “not removed the content they specified,” and has been forwarding the government orders to users to warn them.

Google Inc.’s YouTube still has videos promoting the rally available on its Russian site, despite the government’s directives.

A spokesman for Roskomnadzor said the prosecutors’ order to block rally content “will be fulfilled,” but declined to offer details on how. “We’re talking to everybody differently,” he said. The blocks don’t usually affect users outside Russia.

Currently under house arrest, Mr. Navalny is a lawyer and anticorruption activist who is now one of the most prominent figures in Russia’s beleaguered opposition. He has been charged with fraud in a case that he and his supporters say is an effort to pressure him for his political activity. Prosecutors are seeking a 10-year sentence and deny any political motivation."

yes all that is correct. And if the people want to change the law they should, otherwise the rule of current law will apply. And to me personally Russian law is ridiculous at best, I am a firm believer of a government for the people, by the people. And I think why the Russian gov is doing this is because it's in compliance of the law. No way around that unless the people vote with their brains.

And as a P.S. : This shit would NEVER be accepted in my country or the other 4 nordic democracies. Allthough I fear we are getting there soon enough

Now that the war on terror is winding down it's time for both presidents to rekindle the cold war.

Gods need devils, makes it so much easier to sway public opinion and control the populace.

oh yes that's what happened in Sweden. Suddenly out of nowhere Russian submarine was "detected" and a shitstorm was created right around when the new minority government was to take control and present their new budget. Fuck, if they think for a second that the swedish ppl would buy that, well it seems they would be correct..as of a couple of days ago the major parties in the parliament came to an agreement that no "extra elections" would be held. And I believe that the military is getting a major bump in budget. All because of a sub that was or wasn't there.