Russian feds hike fines on non-compliant internet service providers

Russian internet and telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor has drawn the attention of Russian internet service providers to new fines signed into the federal code of offences this week by national president Vladimir Putin.

The fines include some aimed at ISPs who fail to block websites flagged by the regulator as undesirable, and almost double the previous penalties, albeit for (by Western standards) relatively low amounts of less than US$2,000.

There is speculation that the increased fines are a consequence of a new Russian enforcement drive, and recent independent reports which suggest that as high as 65 percent of the websites on Roskomnadzor’s black list, which should have been blocked by ISPs, are in fact still available to Russian internet users.

The sheer volume of black-listed websites must be a problem for all involved; reports indicate that almost 16,000 online gambling domains alone – and counting – are on the list among thousands of others deemed unsuitable for various reasons by the regulator.

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