Social networks still do not recognize foreign agents in Russia

The head of the United Russia faction in the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the vice-speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Sergei Neverov, reported on sanctions that threaten foreign media in Russia. For this, changes to the Law on Foreign Agents are now being discussed. “We will not only work out the proposals, but the commission that will be created will work on further, broader mechanisms, which may include social networks,” said Neverov.



“It would be right for our specialized committees to work out mirror proposals that would allow us to take steps to protect our citizens and our country from the blatant interference that the American media have deployed in Russia today,” State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said at the meeting November 10, 2017. “All actions by the American media suggest that their policies and positions are completely unfriendly, and this interference is absolutely blatant.”



Foreign media will receive the status of foreign agents as a "mirror response" to the recognition by foreign agents in the United States of the Russian TV channel Russia Today and the agency Sputnik. Coordinate work on the development of a response package will be Vice-Speaker of the State Duma Peter Tolstoy.



Tolstoy later explained that the status of foreign agents would not be received by social networks in general, but only by accounts of foreign media. They will have to put a mark that publishes information in the status of foreign agents. “Social networks are not going to offend anyone in any way, and this topic does not bother us in this case,” said Tolstoy. We are talking only about restrictions for the media, such as CNN, BBC, NY Times and other "pests".



Restrictions on the activities of the media can be introduced as early as next week: “We have three plenary sessions next week, it is likely that we will have time to pass the law in three readings before the end of the week,” Volodin said in an interview to Dozhd.



"We cannot allow a situation in which our country is insulted," said Peter Tolstoy.