Court imposes ban on Sochi blogger's published material
Updated Article:
That auto-blogger's actions have landed them in hot water again! The Central District Court of Sochi has given the prosecutor the green light, ruling that the blogger's social media posts breaking traffic laws are a no-go.
The court's verdict states that the blogger's content flouts traffic regulations left and right, promoting such behavior. Their social media highlights:
- Blazing past speed limits;
- Drifting on public roads in a reckless manner;
- Donning attire mimicking traffic cops' uniforms inappropriately;
- Cruising around in vehicles boasting fake license plates.
Previously, the court had already yanked the blogger's driver's license for similar offenses.
The court's takeaway? Such content eggs on traffic law violations and, as a result, has been declared a prohibited topic in Russia.
This decision paves the way for the blogger's platforms to be incorporated into the "Single Register of Domain Names, Web Pages, and Network Addresses Allowing Identification of Websites Containing Information Prohibited in the Russian Federation." In simpler terms, it means that the blogger's content will be inaccessible for Russian netizens.
Fun fact: The Russian "Single Register" has been active and is run by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor). Its purpose is to enforce internet censorship, blocking access to content deemed illegal, such as platforms responsible for consistent rule-breaking, including those who repeatedly disregard traffic regulations.[1]
When it comes to blocking specific platforms, Roskomnadzor would be the one in charge, with the domain names, web pages, and network addresses related to the offending platforms getting added to the single register, thus restricting access for Russian internet users.[1]
As it stands, current policies provide Roskomnadzor with increasing authority, including the possibility to block .ru domains without a court order, though as things stand now, court orders are generally necessary for such actions, unless a specific case allows for it under the law.[1] So far, there's no public sign that the court's decision or the implementation regarding the auto-blogger has altered the operational status or expansion of the single register beyond the existing procedures.
[1] Enrichment Data: Overall, the Russian “Single Register of Domain Names, Web Pages, and Network Addresses” (also known as the “single register” or “blacklist”) is an active tool managed by Roskomnadzor, enforcing internet censorship by blocking access to content deemed illegal. When a court rules to restrict access to specific platforms, such as an auto-blogger found guilty of repeatedly violating traffic regulations, it is Roskomnadzor that takes action and adds the related domain names, web pages, and network addresses to the single register, making the content inaccessible for Russian internet users. The policies granting Roskomnadzor increased authority also include proposals for the agency to block .ru domains without a court order, though court orders are still generally required for such actions unless a specific case allows for it under the law.
The auto-blogger's content, which consists of sports-analysis on reckless driving and sports violations, may face further restrictions due to the court's decision. The Russian "Single Register of Domain Names, Web Pages, and Network Addresses" might expand to include the blogger's sports-analysis platform, making it inaccessible for Russian netizens, similar to platforms responsible for consistent rule-breaking.
