Google takes swipe at Russia's firewall

Internet giant Google has launched the first high-profile test of Russia's contentious firewall, taking legal action against the web blocker which has been lambasted for allowing the government to ban any web site it chooses.

Moscow: Problems looming over registration of lawyers

The firewall was first put in place in November to block child porn, drugs and suicide content, reports the Tech Crunch web site.

Halloween costume

However, Google’s Russian YouTube operation filed an appeal this week after a video showing how to apply makeup for a Halloween costume was blacklisted after Russian watchdog Roscomnadzor claimed it encouraged suicide and suicidal tendencies.
California-headquartered Google claims that there is not enough clarification on what is permitted and how content will be judged.
Google’s Russian spokesperson, Alla Zabrovskaya, said: ‘We have appealed the decision of Russian consumer watchdog because we do not believe that the goal of the law was to limit access to videos that are clearly intended to entertain viewers.’

Internet development

According to the report, YouTube has now removed the video in question, as it is understood that all YouTube content would have been blocked if it had not.
Addressing the law suit, Ms Zabrovskaya said: ‘We have expressed our opinion on the law, underlining that IP or DNS-blocking system is damaging to Internet development in Russia, as these are the ways which could potentially block the entirety of the product over one piece of illegal content.’
Roscomnadzor are yet to comment on the situation.

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