- Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at the need for a Russia-run alternative to the existing internet, over allegations that internet was set up by America’s espionage agencies which is continually developing it.
- This idea of breaking up the internet has gained ground post Snowden’s revelations about the extent to which America has infiltrated the internet and uses it for mass surveillance of people all over the world. This will help Russian intelligence services to monitor and control traffic better.
- Russia accepted that it conducts surveillance of criminals and possible terrorists, but denied mass surveillance. It has now passed a law mandating foreign social media websites to keep their servers in Russia.
- Putin also criticized Yandex, most popular search engine in Russia, for storing information on servers abroad, potentially compromising Russian security.
- Read at: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/putins-comments-could-pose-challenge-to-the-internet/article5949877.ece
Exams Perspective: