Vladimir Putin Signs Sweeping Internet-Censorship Bills

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed two censorship bills into law Monday. One bans 'fake news' while the other makes it illegal to insult public officials. Ars Technica reports on the details: Under one bill, individuals can face fines and jail time if they publish material online that shows a 'clear disrespect for society, the state, the official state symbols of the Russian Federation, the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and bodies exercising state power.' Insults against Putin himself can be punished under the law, The Moscow Times reports. Punishments can be as high as 300,000 rubles ($4,700) and 15 days in jail.

A second bill subjects sites publishing 'unreliable socially significant information' to fines as high as 1.5 million rubles ($23,000). [T]he Russian government has 'essentially unconstrained authority to determine that any speech is unacceptable. One consequence may be to make it nearly impossible for individuals or groups to call for public protest activity against any action taken by the state,' [analyst Matthew Rojansky told the Post]

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