The State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, has voted for amendment. Social media networks with more than 500,000 daily users must hand over user data to the FSB upon request. They must also provide this data to Roskomnadzor, a Russian media regulator, when requested. TASS, a state-owned news agency, reported this a few days ago.
Deputies also accepted an amendment in the second and third reading of legislation regulating the provision of telecommunications services. It requires any individual in Russia with over 10,000 subscribers on any social media platform to register with Roskomnadzor. Duma Deputy Alexander Khinshtein said on Telegram that failure to comply would have consequences. It would forbid them from accepting donations or posting ads.
The Duma also approved an amendment banning so-called trash streams. These are live broadcasts of violent abuse, usually by male streamers towards their girlfriends, intended to earn tips from viewers. Such broadcasts are to be punishable by fines up to 1 million rubles or $10,500.
The State Duma also limited the number of SIM cards a person can have. Foreign citizens are restricted to 10 SIM cards per person, while Russians in Russia may have no more than 20.
TASS reports that the new amendments aim to protect Russian citizens from online crime. On the other hand, Khinshtein stated that this was part of the fight against the spread of false information.
