The head of the HRC, Valery Fadeev, proposed to regulate the work of telegram channels like the media, informed CASS. According to him, many telegram channels already play the same role as traditional media. The State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications told Russian media that regulation of the work of telegram channels is inevitable and relevant legislative proposals may appear as early as 2023 .
Valery Fadeev, head of the Presidential Council for Human Rights, said in a conversation with TASS that lawmakers need to analyze the work of telegram channels and then think about its legal regulation. According to Fadeev, telegram channels “are now in the open”.
“An analysis is needed here: if there are a significant number of violations by telegram channels, then we have to think about introducing telegram channels into the legislative field, like the media, but here we have to make a meaningful decision. Fadeev told TASS.
Irina Bujor / Kommersant
There is a warning system for Roskomnadzor media in case of violation, the media are responsible for slander and other violations of the law, Fadeev stressed. A similar system, in his opinion, is needed for telegram channels. The State Duma supported this initiative and said that it could discuss the HRC’s proposal at a meeting of the Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications after May 10. .
Alexander Yushchenko, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications
Telegram channels often have a wider audience than the media, but in fact they are largely engaged in manipulation. I don’t blame everyone, but the opinion of experts is that there are no independent telegram channels at all.
“Therefore, if today they distribute and transmit information much more efficiently and quickly, it is logical that the large telegram channels which operate almost like mass media somehow operate according to the rules of a civilized society. normal, with responsibility for the dissemination of information,” he said. Yushchenko in an interview with Russian media.
I think it is possible to develop standards for telegram channels that will be comfortable both for the authors of telegram channels, who conscientiously distribute information, and for civil society, which consumes this information.
Alexander Kazakov / Kommersant
There is logic in this, it is enough to evoke it and present it as a necessary, good and correct initiative, which can be based on a dialogue between the owners of the telegram channels, the professionals who broadcast the information, representatives of federal authorities, law enforcement officers, including representatives of the prosecution.
There are anonymous telegram channels that law enforcement catches, now many (authors of telegram channels) sit abroad and carry a certain direction of information, which often goes against the interests of the state, there are also.
“The committee is at the forefront and we react very quickly to any initiative, so when the State Duma meets after May 10, the committee will think, discuss initiatives that will go in this direction,” Yushchenko said.
Andrey Svintsov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications
I think it is inevitable in the near future. This is because any impact on a large audience will require state regulation.
It is inevitable not only in Russia, it is inevitable everywhere in the world, wherever there is a strong state – Russia, China, other countries. Everywhere, the authorities will demand control of their citizens, of their voters. We saw it in the US election, when Trump won and the losing Democrats started shouting around the world that Russia interfered in the election and somehow helped Trump win. Naturally, it was about social networks, various information channels, since the main media were in the hands of the Democrats, eyes turned to social networks and other tools of communication with a large audience.
“Telegram channels in Russia and a number of countries are gaining popularity, and we will see proposals to regulate this area this year or next year. Many telegram channels today have several million subscribers, and our citizens and citizens of a number of countries have more and more confidence in this tool, so regulations will appear in the near future anyway,” Svintsov told Russian media.
Valery Sharifulin / TASS
At the moment, this issue has not been discussed in the committee, at least publicly, openly at meetings. In discussion form, as they say, some conversations take place over a cup of tea. But at the moment there are difficulties related to the fact that the technology of telegrams itself is the so-called distributed ledger, and we remember that Roskomnadzor tried to block telegrams at one time, which led quite serious failures in the operation of hundreds of sites. which are very popular in Russia. Therefore, interaction is necessary here not only between Roskomnadzor and the companies that provide communication services, but also between Roskomnadzor and the owners of the companies that provide such services, in this case Telegram. But it’s not just Telegram, there are other big networks in other messengers, in social networks.
That is, here the regulation is still only in the discussion format: how to prescribe it legally and how to implement it technically later. Now we are at the stage of thinking, working out, studying the possibilities of both Roskomnadzor and the companies themselves to comply with future legislation, which is only just beginning to be discussed.
We see that the management of Telegram perceives quite well the risks that national governments are talking about. We see that the telegram is very popular in a number of countries, and wherever it has a large audience, the management of the enterprise in any case interacts with the authorities.
“Maybe the technology itself will require some refinement in order to be able to block something, limit something in a certain way, regulate it. You can’t just state it in law and require it to be implemented. We understand that by simply putting some kind of mark by analogy with an asterisk or a tick, the situation in the legal field will not change, because in case of violation there should be some kind of sanctions, blocking, restrictions, fines, etc. on,” Svintsov said.
Today, the possibilities of Telegram, including for a certain anonymous introduction of channels, in a number of countries still cause slight, but concern. Therefore, I think that with the development of technologies, with the development of new information resources, which today are telegram channels, the owners of the company themselves, in order not to have problems with the law and with the authorities responsible for regulating technology companies, will always engage in constructive dialogue, interact and restore order if it threatens national security or any economic problem.
All this is now at the stage of detailed study and study. And I think that this year we will gradually start to make proposals.
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