It seems like Russia is all set to change the working of the internet and technology for its people. After passing the “Sovereign Internet” law for its own internet space, the Russian government has now passed a new bill that will ban devices if they don’t come pre-installed with Russian software.
Russia’s New Bill
Passed by Russia’s lower parliament, the new law won’t allow the sale of some smartphones, computers and smart TVs without Russian software.
The new bill will come into play starting in July 2020 and boasts to make it easier for Russians to use devices.
While Russia is stringent about the use of Russian software, it won’t restrict the sale of devices with other software. The devices will simply be required to be equipped with Russian software as well.
The list of devices that will be required to feature the Russian software hasn’t been announced yet.
While not all details regarding the bill are known, it was previously suggested that the devices will also come with pre-installed Russian apps.
Offenders of the law will be charged with a fine of around 200,000 Rubles ($3,100).
Impact of Russia’s New Bill
While Russian citizens feel that the new bill will ensure ease of usage for the users in the country, the law has its downsides.
Much like Russia’s internet, the law raises privacy and security concerns. It is feared that Russian software and apps will allow the Russian government to spy on users and will affect their privacy.
Moreover, pre-installing Russian software is a task and tech companies might withdraw from the Russian market to avoid all the hassle they might have to go through.
This, in turn, can affect the country as a whole and it might have to develop a lot of Russia-based technology to fill in for the tech firms.
However, the law needs some more work before it goes official in a couple of months. Hence, stay tuned for further information.
Also Read: Guy Arrested For Creating ‘Custom’ Linux Distro For ISIS
