The Ministry of Communications and Informatization is the main regulatory authority of the telecommunications sector and is divided into six main departments:
statistics, telecommunications, postal communications, television and broadcasting,
certification, and technical regulation and standardization. The ministry is frequently
accused of placing unjustified limitations on commercial operators to reinforce Beltelecom’s monopoly. The ministry is a founder of Beltelecom and regulates the activities of
the operator. This setup undermines regulatory independence, a principle essential for
the efficient functioning of the communications sector. Policy relating to ICT appears
to be created mostly on an ad hoc basis by President Lukashenka and his administration. The president frequently holds special meetings to issue directives regarding ICT
regulation and the implementation of particular policies. The Security Council, chaired
by the president, decides on a wide range of questions related to the security of the
regime, including information security. Additionally, a number of state entities have
significant power to influence and control the Internet. The Operational Analytics
Center (formerly the State Center for Information Security), under the supervision
of the president and initially a subdivision of the special security services (KGB), is a
specialized body responsible for protecting state secrets. The center has preserved its
close collaboration with the KGB. The center also manages the administration of the
country’s top-level domain (‘‘.by’’). The State Inspection on Electronic Communications is a subunit of the Ministry of Communications and Informatization and exercises wide authority with regard to the Internet. The Inspection supervises the
electronic communications sector, and in the event of a violation of the rules, it can
impose sanctions on operators or propose the revocation of a wrongdoer’s license.
Department ‘‘K’’—a division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs—is responsible for
investigating cyber crime (arts. 212, 349–355 of the Penal Code). The department coordinates its work with the police and other authorities. Department ‘‘K’’ keeps 1,500
Belarusian hackers on its records. Records show that 4,642 criminal cases related to
usage of computer technologies commenced in the period of 1998 to 2006, of which
2,826 were registered in 2005. Belarus has witnessed a rapid growth of cyber crimes,
and authorities have estimated a 30 percent increase for the first half of 2007 in comparison to the whole of the previous year. 19 The most common cyber crimes in the
country are unauthorized appropriation of information through usage of computer
technology (72 percent) and modification of computer information (13 percent). 20
Although Belarus lacks a well-developed Internet regulatory framework, the authorities appear anxious to achieve control over the Internet. Conscious of the popularity
of the Internet among opposition groups and private media, authorities compel selfcensorship through frequent threats and prosecutions. In addition, in order to avoid
public debate of pending legal measures, authorities often delay publishing laws before
their final promulgation.
Belarus
165
statistics, telecommunications, postal communications, television and broadcasting,
certification, and technical regulation and standardization. The ministry is frequently
accused of placing unjustified limitations on commercial operators to reinforce Beltelecom’s monopoly. The ministry is a founder of Beltelecom and regulates the activities of
the operator. This setup undermines regulatory independence, a principle essential for
the efficient functioning of the communications sector. Policy relating to ICT appears
to be created mostly on an ad hoc basis by President Lukashenka and his administration. The president frequently holds special meetings to issue directives regarding ICT
regulation and the implementation of particular policies. The Security Council, chaired
by the president, decides on a wide range of questions related to the security of the
regime, including information security. Additionally, a number of state entities have
significant power to influence and control the Internet. The Operational Analytics
Center (formerly the State Center for Information Security), under the supervision
of the president and initially a subdivision of the special security services (KGB), is a
specialized body responsible for protecting state secrets. The center has preserved its
close collaboration with the KGB. The center also manages the administration of the
country’s top-level domain (‘‘.by’’). The State Inspection on Electronic Communications is a subunit of the Ministry of Communications and Informatization and exercises wide authority with regard to the Internet. The Inspection supervises the
electronic communications sector, and in the event of a violation of the rules, it can
impose sanctions on operators or propose the revocation of a wrongdoer’s license.
Department ‘‘K’’—a division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs—is responsible for
investigating cyber crime (arts. 212, 349–355 of the Penal Code). The department coordinates its work with the police and other authorities. Department ‘‘K’’ keeps 1,500
Belarusian hackers on its records. Records show that 4,642 criminal cases related to
usage of computer technologies commenced in the period of 1998 to 2006, of which
2,826 were registered in 2005. Belarus has witnessed a rapid growth of cyber crimes,
and authorities have estimated a 30 percent increase for the first half of 2007 in comparison to the whole of the previous year. 19 The most common cyber crimes in the
country are unauthorized appropriation of information through usage of computer
technology (72 percent) and modification of computer information (13 percent). 20
Although Belarus lacks a well-developed Internet regulatory framework, the authorities appear anxious to achieve control over the Internet. Conscious of the popularity
of the Internet among opposition groups and private media, authorities compel selfcensorship through frequent threats and prosecutions. In addition, in order to avoid
public debate of pending legal measures, authorities often delay publishing laws before
their final promulgation.
Belarus
165