Russian lawmakers approve controversial law on internet privacy

Russia’s lower house of parliament has approved a controversial law enabling people to request that certain personal information about them not appear in the results of internet search engines.

Lawmakers in the State Duma voted in favor of the bill, which now needs to be signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Under the bill, internet users can ask search engines such as Google to remove the results of searches on their name if the information about them is incorrect or “no longer relevant.”

The approval of the bill comes amid criticism that it could block access to vital information, hindering the free circulation of data on the web.

A similar law has been approved by the European Parliament; however, the Russian law reportedly extends the right to public figures as well as data that is considered to be in public interest.

The Yandex, Russia’s most popular search engine, had earlier slammed the draft of the bill, saying it ignores the right to search for information on the Internet.

“This bill impedes people’s access to important and reliable information, or makes it impossible to obtain such information,” the statement said.

Advocates of the bill, however, deny the charges, saying the regulation only forces search engines to prevent information from appearing in their results, meaning that the original information will continue to be available on the web nonetheless.

Leonid Levin, a Duma member, said the law “will create an efficient tool for clamping down on blackmail and Internet bullying.”

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