Russia to disconnect from the Internet

Russia plans to activate a version of the Internet that’s walled off from the rest of the world, ostensibly so it can protect itself in the event of a cyber attack. A long-planned bill will go into effect on November 1, 2020, and lay the foundation for a national network whereby internet service providers are controlled by Roskomnadzor, Russia’s telecom agency.

Russians attempting to reach international sites will instead be directed to Russian versions. Citizens hoping to visit Facebook, for example, might be redirected to Russian social network VK.

Russian officials have argued that this so-called sovereign internet will protect the country from harm, but experts argue it could make Russia—and the entire open web—more vulnerable to attack.

(Medium)