Since December 1, Russian users have started reporting problems connecting to the Tor network, which is used to connect anonymously to the Internet.
State Duma deputies believe that restricting access to the Tor browser in Russia will make it possible to resist crime more effectively, the blocking process itself will be lengthy and difficult, but Roskomnadzor is improving technologies.
"All over the world, there is a fight against the negative sides of the Internet: online fraud, the distribution of illegal content (child pornography), the sale of personal and payment data of users, the distribution of drugs and weapons," said Alexander Khinshtein, head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications.
The parliamentarian recalled that Russia is working to combat cyber fraud systematically and quite effectively, a number of relevant laws have already come into force. For example, blocking mobile phones on the territory of correctional institutions, as well as blocking calls from fake numbers from abroad under the guise of Russian ones.
He also stressed that blocking the darknet is a necessary step towards creating a secure digital environment. According to him, the darknet is an obvious concentration of all the most negative, illegal things that exist in the real and digital world today.
In turn, Anton Gorelkin, the deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications, wrote in his Telegram channel that he welcomes the decision of Roskomnadzor to start blocking Tor. He added that 60% of Tor's costs are covered by funding from the US government.
The Tor developers themselves note that Russia is the second country in the world in terms of the number of browser users, it is used by more than 300 thousand Russians. "Blocking Tor will not hurt those who do not sell stolen personal and payment data of people, are not interested in child pornography and the purchase of drugs," Mr. Gorelkin stressed.
