08 August 2014

Internet cafe - Russian style

Well, to be precise, since Russians are more of a tea drinking nation, Internet tea-house, but this is hardly the point of the story:

Russians will no longer be able to access the internet at a cafe, subway and other public places anonymously. Telecom operator will be required to identify them and the equipment they use. These requirements are contained in the government decree signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

According to this document, "user identification is carried out by establishing the user's surname, first name, middle name (if any), confirmed by an identification document." Also accompanied by a unique identifier of the hardware used for data transmission.

According to other regulations, the operator must keep the data obtained for six months and to provide it to law enforcement authorities in cases stipulated by law.
So much for the Internet, cafe, tea houses, freedom...

17 comments:

Dick Stanley said...

Airstrikes, so far, with all the threat to "civilians" they entail. But notice we are doing the same in Iraq. I guess Hamas has a new spokesperson, eh? Not a desirable position. They apparently murdered the previous one.

Dick Stanley said...

What's with the hip-hop accompaniement? Or am I getting feedback from somewhere else?

Dick Stanley said...

Hmm. In the US, NSA just snoops on us without any notice. Not to mention Google, said to be inspecting emails at gmail for suspected kiddie porn attachments.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

I don't know about whether he is new. Whatever, I don't remember the name of the previous one.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

No, they really do play some background tune, probably to swallow the crap he sells easier - or maybe to desensitize the listeners even more.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Be it as it may, it is still a long cry from registering people in an Internet cafe. Imagine going to Starbucks for a cup of coffee with a muffin and some time on the net, only to be asked for your driving license or something...

Dick Stanley said...

This from International Business Times:

"Hamas claimed that Ayman Taha, a former spokesman for Hamas in Gaza, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that 'targeted him in the apartment where he was with several others in Gaza City,' according to a report by i24news, an Israeli news agency. However, a report by Al-Quds, a Palestinian daily, reported that Taha was executed by a Hamas firing squad earlier this week for maintaining contacts with the intelligence services of Egypt and other Arab countries."

Dick Stanley said...

I can foresee it. The Net is less free every day.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Oh... thanks, I didn't know he was a spokesman.
I wish him to remain healthy, though ;-)

SnoopyTheGoon said...

There is a world of difference. In US and other Western countries they will just download your personal data from your credit card or driver license without asking. When you pass the door with an appropriate scanner in the doorjamb. Or whatever.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Yep, I am aware of it, and as for the article: Yoram Hazony, its author, really needs to lighten up some. He is a bit too square, methinks.

David All said...

Yes, it is like the Soviet Union under Stalin. You always had to check to see whether or not yesterday's spokesperson had been purged!

David All said...

It probably all sounded better in the original German. Probably had a better crowd reaction as well. For all the green flags, that crowd looked pretty listless.

Snoopy and Dick, thanks for the videos. They have good hip-hop tunes.

David All said...

An effective way of reminding Russians that once again Big Brother, aka Putin, is watching them and that they better behave if they want to stay out of trouble.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

;-)

SnoopyTheGoon said...

True.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Sure thing. They should understand that they are not living under a fickle and decadent Western democracy.