Accessibility links

Breaking News

Russia: Anonymous Wi-Fi Access Banned


Russian flag atop the Grand Kremlin Palace, Moscow, March 18, 2014.
Russian flag atop the Grand Kremlin Palace, Moscow, March 18, 2014.

Russia is now requiring users of public Wi-Fi networks to provide identification in order to connect.

The move, announced Friday, is generating anger among users.

The order is the latest in a series of new laws tightening Russia's control over the Internet.

The Communications Ministry says the decree applies to "collective access points."

But it remains unclear how it will be enforced and which types of public places will be affected. Russian media list cafes and parks as examples.

Wi-Fi users will reportedly have to give their full names, confirmed by an ID, such as a phone number.

Another recent law in Russia requires bloggers with more than 3,000 followers to register with the government and adhere to the same rules as media outlets.

  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG