It’s time for Americans to exult in our precious constitution and the freedoms it guarantees us. We may not like it that the press has almost unfettered rights to spew whatever it wishes. But, it’s so much better than the rest of the world where those freedoms are not given.
President Vladimir Putin has signed into law tough new fines for Russians who spread what the authorities regard as fake news or who show “blatant disrespect” for the state online, an official portal for legal information showed on Monday.
Critics have warned that the legislation could create a mechanism for state censorship, but lawmakers say the new measures are needed to combat false news reports and abusive online comments.
The legislation grants authorities the power to block websites if they fail to comply with requests to remove information that the state deems to be factually inaccurate.
Under the new law, individuals can be fined up to 400,000 rubles ($6,100) for circulating false information online that leads to a “mass violation of public order”.
More @ Russia's Putin Signs Law Banning Fake News, Insulting the State Online
