Roskomnadzor announced competition on creation of a control system of online media

2011: Start of system development

As of March, 2011 Roskomnadzor exercises control of internet mass-media actually in the manual mode by means of public search services, the representative of department Mihail Vorobyov^[1] told CNews^[1]. At the same time, he notes, the number of such mass media constantly grows: so, in 2008 555 internet mass-media, in 2009 – 700, in 2010 – about 1.5 thousand, since the beginning of 2011 – already 140 were registered. For March, 2011, according to Vorobyov, as media more than 5.3 thousand Internet resources were registered in total.

"Became obvious that the used technique does not allow to perform properly powers on control and supervision in the field of mass communications any more, in particular, to reveal violations of Article 4 of the law "About Media", - the representative of Roskomnadzor says.

According to this article, use of mass media for the purpose of commission of penal acts, for disclosure of the data which are the state or other specially protected by the law secret for distribution of the materials which are containing public calls for implementation of terrorist activity, or publicly justifying terrorism, propagandizing a pornography, a cult of violence and cruelty is not allowed, in particular.

According to Vorobyov, the resolution of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of June 15, 2010 had on making decision on order placement on a hardware and software system of control also an impact. According to this document of media should delete or edit illegal reader's comments only after their identification by Roskomnadzor and the directions of the corresponding appeal to the editorial office. Without special software tools to exercise efficient control of the forums placed on pages of media, difficult, Vorobyov notes.

In March, 2011 it became known that Roskomnadzor decided to create the system allowing to monitor round the clock emergence in online media of materials with signs of violation of the law – for example, appeals to extremism and violent overthrow of the constitutional system. Officials explain the solution to automate monitoring with the fact that in recent years online media are multiplied as mushrooms.

Roskomnadzor announced competition on creation of an automated system of control of online media which should perform monitoring in the round-the-clock mode and reveal materials with signs of violation of the law. Officials estimated the cost of such system at 15 million rubles. From the contractor it is required to perform delivery till August 15, 2011, and till December 15, 2011 to carry out acceptance tests and to eliminate the defects revealed in a system.

Using a new system Roskomnadzor will monitor distribution to online media of materials with signs of violation of the law on a number of points, the majority of which concern extremism - for example, the containing public calls for implementation of terrorist activity or justifying terrorism. In December, 2010 the president Dmitry Medvedev signed the Federal Law setting punishment for this offense in the form of imprisonment for a period of 8 up to 15 years with a penalty in the amount of 500 thousand rubles up to 1 million rubles.

Among other violations connected with extremism - promotion and public demonstration of Nazi symbolics and attributes, appeals to violent overthrow of bases of the constitutional system and violation of integrity of Russia, excitation of social, racial, national or religious discord. Here public obviously false charge of the official of commission by it during execution of job responsibilities of the acts which are crime belongs.

Under the law public calls for extremist activity are punished by a penalty in the amount up to 300 thousand rubles or arrest for a period of the 4th up to 6 months, or imprisonment for a period of up to 3 years, and the same acts made using media - imprisonment for a period of up to five years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or to be engaged in a certain activity for a period of up to three years.

Besides, a system will "comb" online media on existence of promotion of a pornography and distribution of materials about the organizations which the court decided to liquidate or ban their activity. A system also needs to find the hidden inserts and other techniques and methods of dissemination of information which are influencing subconsciousness of people or having an adverse effect on their health.

The control system of online media will include the database of media, dictionaries containing words and expressions which can form the basis for qualification of violations of the law, storage of disputable materials. At identification of doubtful materials a system should create the report and transfer him to the operator who will direct materials to specialists for making decision on existence of signs of violation of the law to them.

Maxim Salomatin, the head b2c of the Парк.ру company developing solutions for monitoring and the content analysis of media considers that the cost of a system is stated quite adequate, and here delivery dates raise doubts. "In the tender documentation it is specified that the maximum delivery date of a hardware and software system makes 90 days. I believe that officials already have such complex in mind as in 90 days it cannot be developed from scratch", - the expert notes.

2015: Start of a system in 19 regions

On December 25, 2015 it became known of start by Roskomnadzor the system of automatic collecting and the analysis of content in internet mass-media in the territory of 19 regions of the Russian Federation in the test mode^[2].

Analytical core — in the Main radio-frequency center... The number of the revealed violations doubled at least. Alexander Zharov, head of department

According to the head of department, a system analyzes a text component of the websites, comments and posts at forums regarding violations of the law. Also the description of multimedia files which in case of suspicion go for the analysis to Roskomnadzor is exposed to check.

System implementation as Zharov said, will come to the end until the end of 2016. According to him so far violators are tried not to be punished, urging to eliminate defects instead.

I think, it will lead to improvement of quality of all media in all territory of the Russian Federation. Alexander Zharov

According to the Russian legislation two written warnings from Roskomnadzor of violations in a year are the basis for the statement of claim in court about cancellation of the mass media registration certificate.

Notes