Report: Deputies want users to register in social nets with passports

MOSCOW, Apr 5 (PRIME) -- Russian deputies have submitted a bill obliging users to create pages in social networks only under real names and with the registration of passport data with no access to children under 14 years, the Izvestiya daily reported on Wednesday on its Web site.

If approved, the initiative will come in force on January 1, 2018.

“Nobody is trying to impose censorship or limit the freedom of speech. Verification and strict control over authenticity of names will enhance value of own opinion and virtual communication,” one of the bill’s authors, Vladimir Petrov, said.

Presidential aide for the Internet German Klimenko found the bill “very raw”.

“I’m not a lawyer, but the definition of a social network looks quite vague and covers all resources with communication between registered users. What should be done with the non-registered? Registration under own name without pseudonyms also raises lots of questions,” he said.

Owners of Web sites will be fined for violations from 100,000 to 300,000 rubles, and users will be punished for entering faulty data or failing to inform of their change with 1,000–3,000 rubles.

Parents of children joining a banned group in a social network will be fined up to 2,000 rubles, the bill reads.

(56.5553 rubles – U.S. $1)

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