Restricting access to YouTube in the Far East is dangerous for the development of the Internet in Russia

Marina Zhunich, Director of interaction with public authorities.

The recent increase in judicial decisions regarding Internet and web hosting providers in different regions of the country threaten the very existence and development of the Internet in Russia.

Thus, the recent decision of the Central District Court. Komsomolsk -on-Amur on 16. 07. 2010 on the limitation of access for all subscribers ' RA RTS ... com, lib. rus. ec, zhurnal. ru, thelib. ru and the web. archive. org in full, and not to specific Web pages, where they were placed materials listed in the federal list of extremist materials, the Ministry of Justice, in our view, limits the right of users to access information, t. e. directly violates Article. 29 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Of course, to fight against extremism and other forms of illegal content should be, and hosting providers are constantly improving technological solutions in this area. In particular, YouTube prohibits the placing and encourages users to mark videos that contain hate speech (for details see. YouTube Community Guidelines. ). All notices received from users promptly considered by the moderators, and, in case of violation of these requirements, video immediately removed from the site.

Restricting access to the entire platform, providing users with the ability to post content and share information based on at least one material, the content of which public authorities deem extremist, is excessive and tantamount to a ban of all Internet. As a result, the closure of access to YouTube in the Far East, subscribers ' RA RTS ...

Our experience of interaction with public authorities in Europe and the U.S. shows that the most effective form of Internet regulation, which allows global network to develop and advance the innovation economy - a combination of self- consciousness and an active civil users with minimal supervision by the state.