What New Norms Of Internet “Regulation” Meant By Lukashenka ?

The Belarusian Association of Journalists has addressed the Information Minister Liliya Ananich.

The BAJ asks to make clear the novelties in the sphere of Internel regulation, which are being prepared now and which Lukashenka mentioned. BelaPAN has been told about that by the chairman of the organisation Andrei Bastunets.

On April 21, answering the question of “deputies” after the address to the “parliament” and the nation, the head of the state said that work on Internet and mass media regulation is to be continued in Belarus. To the question “how to counteract information, which is imposed on the society from TV screens, by mostly foreign TV channels,” Lukashenka answered: “It is a difficult question, certainly. In the current situation of global informatization, Internet… You know, how sensitive to that many people are… It is almost impossible to solve this problem for us alone. This concern certainly exists.”

“We want Internet to be controlled by some international organisation according to certain rules,” – Lukashenka said. According to him, the International Telecommunication Union could be such an organisation. If this does not happen, “every country is to defend its interests.”

Liliya Ananich and Usevalad Yancheuski, the president’s aide, are now “engaged in elaborating regulations of penetrating our gates by these information channels,” Lukashenka said and added that “legislative initiatives, legislative acts are to be placed on his table for a decision to be passed.”

As said by Bastunets, in the letter sent by the BAJ to the Information Ministry on April 22, Minster Ananich is asked to make it clear what new initiatives are meant. “We also ask to explain which particular norms, regulation the national segment of the Internet, will be changed. Besides, we ask to involve members of the public, including the BAJ, in drafting this bill,” – the chairman of the public association said.

It should be noted that since July 2010 a Decree “On measures for improvement of the national segment of the Internet’s use” is in force. It regulates the mechanism of blocking access to information by request of an Internet user. Under the decree, economic entities which sell goods and services in Belarus with the use of the Internet, must use information networks, systems and resources of the national segment of the Internet placed on the territory of the country, which are to be registered.

Since 2015 an updated law on mass media is in force in Belarus. According to it, websites could be blocked when inappropriate information is posted by them. This procedure envisages preliminary issuing of two warnings, however in some cases access could be limited after one violation by the decision of the Information Ministry.