Russia on track to require Russian bloggers to register real names.

Come now, Comrade: nobody wishes to restrict your speech.

Russia’s upper house of parliament approved a law on Tuesday that will impose stricter rules on bloggers and is seen by critics as an attempt by President Vladimir Putin to stifle dissent on the Internet.

The Federation Council overwhelmingly approved the tighter controls on Russian blogs and websites that attract more than 3,000 daily visits, under legislation the government says is needed to formalize the definition of blogging in Russian law.

We merely wish to know your name, your address, your family history, your place of employment, your credit history, your background, your associations, your friends, your family, where we can reach your family in an emergency, your day-to-day details.  Purely for informational purposes! And basic fairness, of course.  The hard-working fellows in Russian mass media follow certain rules: why can’t you?

Comrade.

Via Ace of Spades HQ.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: Note, Comrades, that this law does not cover those who merely comment on ‘blogs’ in Mother Russia.  Merely on those who run them.  This was intentional: the State has determined that there is no harm in speaking one’s mind in the street.  Why, if the Federal Security Service brought back the bad old days of informants everywhere, there would be rioting in those streets – and who wishes that, Comrades?