Russia Begins Censoring Websites

[Vegosiux]

Wikileaks (at least) was a different matter. Wikileaks was dealing with and exposing stolen classified material, regardless of the damage that such information could have caused.

Yes, I understand that, but that doesn't make it "not censorship". And as long as a state argues "interests of national security" as the reason for taking a site down, that's pretty much that, because it falls under state sovereignty. Sure you can be critical of it, but you don't really have any grounds to make them stop doing it.

Actually, the knowledgeable sales, purchasing, and distribution of stolen goods is already illegal. Wikileaks knowingly bought and then distributed stolen "goods." Shutting them down is akin to confiscating the stolen property. This is why the censorship argument fails. Assange openly admitted to purchasing stolen goods and not alerting authorities to the sellers, both of which were criminal acts. He was effectively participating in political espionage and the US had the right to prevent that information from being released.

It's still censorship. By definition.

"Censorship is the suppression of speech or other public communication which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient as determined by a government, media outlet, or other controlling body."

Not allowing porn on TV at 2PM is "censorship". Censorship does not necessarily have a malicious intent, but it is a practice of disallowing communication and expression in some forms, while the reasons for it are very very varied, some more and some less scrupulous.

The main problem is that it's become some kind of a buzz word that has to necessarily carry a negative context, but that's not the fault of the word nor its definition, but of the people who perpetuate such a false perspective.

Or to put it differently, censorship is a tool that can be used for good or bad, and it shouldn't be called bad by default just because it happens to be used in a bad fashion in several cases.

 

[Dogstile]

Hey, look, it must be sensationalism o'clock! The fact that they haven't actually censored anything yet, and have only said that they'll take down websites that most western nations already do apparently doesn't matter because they're Russia, therefore they must be evil!

"Of course there are websites that should not be accessible to children, but I don't think it will be limited to that," said Yuri Vdovin, an official from a human rights organization based in Russia. "The government will start closing other sites - any democracy-oriented sites are at risk of being taken offline."

To prove his point, Vdovin says the law will only target websites to which the Russian government is politically opposed. "There are lots of harmful websites out there already, for example, fascist sites - and they could have easily been closed down by now - but no, [the government] doesn't care, there are no attempts to do so," he said.

"The government hasn't taken down websites which express a political viewpoint... THEREFORE THE GOVERNMENT'S GONNA START TAKING DOWN WEBSITES WHICH EXPRESS POLITICAL VIEWPOINTS!"
What a fucking genius!

"They've only said..."

Stop right there. You're trusting a government to stick to their word? That's not sensationalism to assume they won't, that's an assumption that can be made based on looking at any government in the world, what they've promised and what they've actually done.

Maybe its just because I live in England and wouldn't trust my government to change a fucking lightbulb, but I suspect this won't go down well. "Nonsense! Russia would never abuse a power or try to get rid of something that they don't like, nor is harmful" I hear you say? Well, you should remember that Russia is the country that wanted to ban the emo fashion.

Don't believe me?

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gwNzfstkIFxaBXd28vSA4ng2re3Q

The media shouldn't be making assumptions, it should be reporting facts.

Banning emo fashion may seem authoritarian, but it's not censoring people for having political opinions. And banning things deemed "harmful to society" is hardly unique to authoritarian regimes, think of how many things are banned here in western countries "for the good of society".

Unfortunately for you, you're on a website where it has long been established that the authors will put their own assumptions into the stories. Hell, even real world newspapers do this. Its nothing new that the media does this.

Oh, for your last point, just because it happens over here, doesn't mean I agree with it. I was born into the system, after all.

 

[cerebus23]

Hey, look, it must be sensationalism o'clock! The fact that they haven't actually censored anything yet, and have only said that they'll take down websites that most western nations already do apparently doesn't matter because they're Russia, therefore they must be evil!

"Of course there are websites that should not be accessible to children, but I don't think it will be limited to that," said Yuri Vdovin, an official from a human rights organization based in Russia. "The government will start closing other sites - any democracy-oriented sites are at risk of being taken offline."

To prove his point, Vdovin says the law will only target websites to which the Russian government is politically opposed. "There are lots of harmful websites out there already, for example, fascist sites - and they could have easily been closed down by now - but no, [the government] doesn't care, there are no attempts to do so," he said.

"The government hasn't taken down websites which express a political viewpoint... THEREFORE THE GOVERNMENT'S GONNA START TAKING DOWN WEBSITES WHICH EXPRESS POLITICAL VIEWPOINTS!"
What a fucking genius!

i suspect putin is motivated by his dreams of stalin and wanting to crush any and all opposition.

"He's a corrupt politican, and he's Russian... THEREFORE HE MUST LOVE STALIN!"
Look guys, we've got ourselves another genius over here!

Well i do know he had any number of opposition murdered over the years, put his underling puppet in as leader, put his buddies in all sorts of cushy positions of power, he was a former kgb officer, i think he might even have a passing knowledge of stalin and the things he did.

 

[Gearhead mk2]

And the Orwellian dystopia begins.

 

[CentralScrtnzr]

"Think of the children" is far too frequently used to take away the rights of adults.

Child pornography is already illegal in the free world; the police already shut down such websites in their investigations. Claiming that concerns over child pornography is enough to give the government wide powers to censor the most powerful mode of communication is insanity.

 

[Ldude893]

The Nazis have returned and are now in the process of taking over Greece à la 1920's Germany, and it's clear that their cross-hairs are aimed at the immigrants and Jews.
Russia is now being converted back to a communist, totalitarian state that was supposed to be abolished two decades ago.
And governments like those in China, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba and Zimbabwe still exist.

I'll just call it now: World War III in at least 15 years.

 

[Metalix Knightmare]

Reminds me of Hitler and how he arrested his political opponents and had all their newspapers closed down...Dark days.

Dude, it's Russia. You don't need to Godwin for this sort of thing.

 

[cricket chirps]

Just going to turn more Russian children into tech-savy hackers. Good job Russia

 

[Entitled]

"He's a corrupt politican, and he's Russian... THEREFORE HE MUST LOVE STALIN!"
Look guys, we've got ourselves another genius over here!

Well i do know he had any number of opposition murdered over the years, put his underling puppet in as leader, put his buddies in all sorts of cushy positions of power, he was a former kgb officer, i think he might even have a passing knowledge of stalin and the things he did.

Which makes him exactly like Stalin.

The kind of Stalin that is leading a religious conservative, nationalist, big business-supporting anti-communist party.

 

[kasperbbs]

I guess Putin tried googling his name and didn't like what he had found.

 

[ElPatron]

"The government hasn't taken down websites which express a political viewpoint... THEREFORE THE GOVERNMENT'S GONNA START TAKING DOWN WEBSITES WHICH EXPRESS POLITICAL VIEWPOINTS!"
What a fucking genius!

I used to trust governments to be consistent and not lie. Governments flip like pancakes and lie all the time.

"He's a corrupt politican, and he's Russian... THEREFORE HE MUST LOVE STALIN!"
Look guys, we've got ourselves another genius over here!

I think he said Stalin because
- responsible for more deaths than Hitler
- no need to pull off the Hitler card in a country with Russia's history

You're jumping over conclusions and antagonizing people. Stop it.

Which makes him exactly like Stalin.

The kind of Stalin that is leading a religious conservative, nationalist, big business-supporting anti-communist party.

I admire the WWII era German war machine and what it represented, even though I am not a Nazi. Some times things aren't about intentions but actions.

I take that nobody is this thread ever saw a hyperbole.

 

[Bujiraso]

Oh gee, while we're at it, why don't we all strap pillows to ourselves so we don't hurt ourselves if we walk into walls!
Seriously, this obvious mind-control facading as protection is sickening and disgusting.

 

[thespyisdead]

well... if only the bad sites are censored, then i am just fine... i will be concerned once other sites become black listed... at which point, it will be admittedly too late

 

[Smertnik]

Well, this was only a logical step up from the censorship already present in all the other Russian media.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

I have no doubt that, that it will be abused in minor ways. Shutting the websites of the opposition though? Doubt it. They can hardly accuse them of having porn or suicide tips on their sites.

Putin and Co. are accustomed to subtle manipulation and generally use backhanded ways to get what they want. They aren't stupid enough to bludgeon their way through Internet.

I don't think he will go after the main opposition party's website on Day 1. However, bribery is a major source of income for Russian government officials, and extorting blog writers, small newspapers and other websites that are affiliated with the opposition, but are not so important as to draw major backlash, is an obvious first step.

Putin seems like a fairly clever guy, so I imagine he will try to keep it in hand at first. After he's gone, though (presumably once he dies, because he's not going to leave power voluntarily)? It'll be open season.

 

[Auberon]

Comrade Putin will not find an excuse to shut down opposition, as the important ones are already jailed. Just another charge on top of existing ones.

captcha: lame duck

why yes, this is lame.

 

[GTwander]

Anytime Russia does anything we all have a kneejerk reaction like it was still the days of the Cold War. I say let them show they had every inclination to use this improperly before we chastise them.

FFS, they have like the 3rd strongest porn industry in the entire world. Lay off'a them.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Wow, Russia only just started with censoring? A former communist country only just arrives at a party long-since started by supposed bastions of freedom and democracy like the US and UK. Hah!

 

[jurnag12]

Random comment, and maybe somewhat insensitive, but why would someone need a website to tell them how to kill themselves? When did "Swallow all the colourful candies" or "toss thyneself of thyne roof" become to difficult to come up with yourself?