Mail.Ru calls for softening punishment for social nets posting

MOSCOW, Aug 6 (PRIME) -- Russian Internet giant Mail.Ru Group thinks the country’s law and law enforcement practice on punishment for likes and reports in social networks should be mitigated, the company said on Monday in a statement.

“In our country tens of millions of people regularly use social networks. We share our thoughts with friends, discuss news, like something, upload photos and videos with friends daily. An option to share information is the biggest value of social networks,” Mail.Ru Group said.

“We see the practice of opening criminal cases against users for likes and reposts in social networks gaining popularity in many regions of our country. Actions of law enforcement entities often fail to be adequate to a potential threat, and their response to records in comments or memes in a feed is unreasonably violent.

“We’re confident that the law and law enforcement practice should be revised. We find it necessary to pardon the unjustifiably accused, detained on the accusations and to decriminalize similar cases in the future.”

The amendments that introduced criminal punishment for posts in social networks were adopted in 2014. Human rights activists say that the number of sentences for posts in networks has doubled over the recent year.

End