Karina Orlova: Putin’s absurd new ‘Big Brother’ laws
Last Friday, Russia's Duma passed a spate of "anti-terrorism" laws, brought to the floor by hardline MP Irina Yarovaya, significantly toughening Internet and cellular service regulation, which will not only severely curtail the privacy of users, but also financially damage Internet companies. The harshest amendments to the law - allowing the state to revoke the citizenship of, and to deny the right to travel abroad to, those convicted - were dropped at the last minute. The surveillance components of the legislation, however, passed the lower chamber easily.