You're reading: Putin signs bill on blocking websites with extremist information

 Moscow, December 30 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill stipulating immediate block of Web sites circulating appeals for large-scale unrest and other extremist information, a statement posted on an official Internet portal of legal information said.

The draft law stipulating relevant amendments to the law On Information, Information Technologies and Information Protection has been submitted by deputies of three State Duma factions: Andrei Lugovoi of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party, Nikolai Ivanov of the Russian Communist Party and Sergei Chindyaskin of the United Russia party. The State Duma and the Federation Council considered and passed the bill throughout December.

According to the draft law passed, Internet resources containing appeals for unrest and other extremist information are blocked upon a request of the Russian prosecutor general, deputy prosecutor generals or the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media. In its turn the Ministry has to inform immediately operators of the necessity to limit access to a relevant Internet resource and demand Internet and hosting providers delete such information. Providers have 24 hours to delete such information.

The draft law will come into effect on February 1, 2014.