Russian security service wants to ban Skype and Gmail

[WestVirginiaRebel]

UK Telegraph:

The Russian security service has proposed banning Skype, Hotmail and Gmail as their "uncontrolled use" could pose a security threat, a service official said during a government meeting on Friday.

The comments from the head of the service's information and special communication centre Alexander Andreyechkin were disowned by the Kremlin but come amid mounting concern over state meddling in the internet in Russia.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) is "increasingly concerned" by the mass use of these services, which use foreign-made encryption technology, Mr Andreyechkin said, RIA Novosti agency reported.

"Uncontrolled usage of these services may lead to massive threat to Russia's security," he said at a meeting of the government's communication and technology committee.

Control of internet traffic through these services is done from servers outside Russia, and so they are often used by extremist organisations, Mr Andreyechkin was reported as saying before the meeting continued without the press.

Deputy communications minister Ilya Massukh later said that recommendations on regulating the mass usage of encryption technology would be given to the government by October 1.

The FSB would like to ban these services in Russia because "security authorities cannot access them," Massukh was reported as saying.

Russian agencies quoted a Kremlin source later Friday as saying that Mr Andreyechkin's statements were "his own opinion and don't reflect the government's policy regarding development of the internet."

"Andreyechkin overstepped his authority and made hasty remarks about these popular services," the source said, RIA Novosti reported.

"State policy in the sphere of internet technology is not set by security services."
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I'll bet they wish it was, though...

[Sabre86]

The more things change in Russia, the more they stay the same.

 

It doesn't matter which flag is flying over the Kremlin, Imperial, Soviet, or Russian, it's all the same.

 

For some reason, Russians just like having a "father figure" in control who will tell them what to do and take care of them. This mentality goes back a lot further than the Russian Revolution of 1917.