Russia Bans Technology W/O Russian-made Software

Russia will be enforcing a new law as of July 2020, stating that all smartphones, smart TVs and computers have a Russian-made software installed to make these gadgets easier for the users in their country. The alternative to this proposal is that the people of Russia worry that there could be problems with surveillance with this software, thinking that the government could be spying on them through this software. Also, problems could arise with the firms who are in the Russian market, as this software could be difficult to install. One of the bill's co-authors, Oleg Nikolayev, said "When we buy complex electronic devices, they already have individual applications, mostly western ones, pre-installed on them." For this reason, I can see how Russians can have difficulty with using their new gadgets when the applications they're using don't apply to their country. The Association of Trading Companies and Manufacturers of Electrical Household and Computer Equipment has said that this software will not be compatible with some computer devices, and therefore it will be more likely for some firms to pull out of the Russian market. It seems that Russia's most recent laws have been becoming overpowering and has been restricting toward the internet and technology use. The Russian government wants to have more control over what it's people have access to online... I feel that when laws restrict the rights and freedoms of people, riots and protests begin to emerge. Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, is an authoritarian figure and is power hungry. Through the sovereign internet law, government officials have the authority to ensure that the Russian web's traffic is kept to a restricted limit, and if it isn't they have the authority to restrict the internet use amongst the Russian users. Many gathered when this law was made, protesting an unjust law that was made to censor the internet use and to gather private information about their civilians. As these laws continue to crack down, it'll be interesting to see how Russians agree to this new law involving Russian software that will be official this upcoming summer.  








https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50507849
By: Nicole Bellino