dia are the least controlled part of the Russian media, but their influence may not be as
strong as that of other media. The control on the media tightened particularly during
and after the 2004 ‘‘Beslan Crisis,’’ in which 1,100 students were taken hostage in
Beslan in the North Caucasus by terrorists demanding an end to the second Chechen
war. 6
The Russian government has deliberately created mechanisms to centralize power in
the Kremlin and influence major information outlets. This policy has been expanded
to reach the Internet through a range of approaches from censorship to propaganda,
resulting in self-censorship.
Although Putin admittedly has never sent an e-mail in his life, 7 his administration
has been increasingly interested in regulating the Internet. Under Medvedev’s presidency (since May 2008), Putin, now as the prime minister, continues to have significant influence over the internal and foreign politics of the state.
Dmitri Medvedev has demonstrated familiarity with Internet communications. During the election campaign, he addressed questions about the Russian blogosphere,
promising clement conditions for its development. In October 2008, Medvedev
launched his own video blog. 8 However, no significant changes have been introduced
to promote media freedom and freedom of expression in Russia. Nonetheless, Russian
media have surmised that Medvedev’s involvement has led to the removal of the
restrictions on foreign participation in ISPs, which were envisioned in the Draft Bill
for Amendments to the Law ‘‘On the Order of Foreign Investment in Companies and
Organizations Having Strategic Importance for National Security.’’
Internet Infrastructure
Internet use grew in Russia in the 1990s with a regime unprepared to deal with
new information and communication technology (ICT) challenges. The post-Soviet
government seemed to prefer to have strong control over the Internet, similar to the
way it already controlled traditional media, but left it alone for lack of viable approaches. Internet penetration in Russia was low during this period, and access was difficult, factors that may explain why the Internet was not a major government concern. 9
With the election of President Putin came a new focus on regulating the Internet. He
issued the Information Security Doctrine in 2000, which outlined Russia’s desire to
encourage development of the information space amid growing security concerns.
This document regulates traditional media but also indirectly positions the Internet at
the core of national security policies. 10 Within a few years, the majority of other CIS
countries adopted laws similar to Russia’s Information Doctrine.
As of December 2008, the number of Internet users in Russia had reached 38 million. 11 Internet penetration is growing notably, though it remains predominantly
two-tiered, with much higher Internet and PC penetration rates in Moscow and
Russia
211
strong as that of other media. The control on the media tightened particularly during
and after the 2004 ‘‘Beslan Crisis,’’ in which 1,100 students were taken hostage in
Beslan in the North Caucasus by terrorists demanding an end to the second Chechen
war. 6
The Russian government has deliberately created mechanisms to centralize power in
the Kremlin and influence major information outlets. This policy has been expanded
to reach the Internet through a range of approaches from censorship to propaganda,
resulting in self-censorship.
Although Putin admittedly has never sent an e-mail in his life, 7 his administration
has been increasingly interested in regulating the Internet. Under Medvedev’s presidency (since May 2008), Putin, now as the prime minister, continues to have significant influence over the internal and foreign politics of the state.
Dmitri Medvedev has demonstrated familiarity with Internet communications. During the election campaign, he addressed questions about the Russian blogosphere,
promising clement conditions for its development. In October 2008, Medvedev
launched his own video blog. 8 However, no significant changes have been introduced
to promote media freedom and freedom of expression in Russia. Nonetheless, Russian
media have surmised that Medvedev’s involvement has led to the removal of the
restrictions on foreign participation in ISPs, which were envisioned in the Draft Bill
for Amendments to the Law ‘‘On the Order of Foreign Investment in Companies and
Organizations Having Strategic Importance for National Security.’’
Internet Infrastructure
Internet use grew in Russia in the 1990s with a regime unprepared to deal with
new information and communication technology (ICT) challenges. The post-Soviet
government seemed to prefer to have strong control over the Internet, similar to the
way it already controlled traditional media, but left it alone for lack of viable approaches. Internet penetration in Russia was low during this period, and access was difficult, factors that may explain why the Internet was not a major government concern. 9
With the election of President Putin came a new focus on regulating the Internet. He
issued the Information Security Doctrine in 2000, which outlined Russia’s desire to
encourage development of the information space amid growing security concerns.
This document regulates traditional media but also indirectly positions the Internet at
the core of national security policies. 10 Within a few years, the majority of other CIS
countries adopted laws similar to Russia’s Information Doctrine.
As of December 2008, the number of Internet users in Russia had reached 38 million. 11 Internet penetration is growing notably, though it remains predominantly
two-tiered, with much higher Internet and PC penetration rates in Moscow and
Russia
211