UPDATE: Putin says Runet law not about restrictions, but sovereignty

(Changes headline, lede, adds paragraphs 2–3)

MOSCOW, Jun 20 (PRIME) -- The law on protection of the Russian-speaking segment of the Internet, is intended to ensure secure functioning of the Runet and does not mean any restrictions, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday during a Direct Line Q&A session.

“Any limitations are out of the question. We remembered Chinese company Huawei: the U.S. decided and restricted its activities. Most of servers are located abroad, and I hope it won’t be the case, they won’t do it, because it will disrupt their own system, but if we suppose that these servers are disconnected or their work is influenced somehow, we must in any case, including such cases, provide reliable operation of the Runet, the Russian segment of the Internet. The law is aimed at that. Only that,” Putin said in response to a question why the law was adopted.

“No limitations are planned here. On the contrary, the law seeks to ensure sovereignty of our Internet, our segment, and the possibility for individuals, bloggers, and the government to work there.”

The president signed in May the law to protect sustainable work of the Internet in the country in case of threats from abroad.

Digital Development Minister Konstantin Noskov said earlier that the Runet will never be hidden from the global Web, which is open by definition.

“Creation of a barred Russian Internet is more likely media headlines. Of course, there are no mad people and it won’t happen. The Internet is open by definition, no questions here,” Noskov said at the International Cybersecurity Congress.

“The other thing is that we work to secure ourselves against risks when our country can be disconnected from the Internet. This risk exists and we must curb it down. We ourselves won’t do it certainly, it makes no sense. Yes to security and no to disconnection from the global Internet.”

End