State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications

Activity history

2024: Sergey Boyarsky - the new head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy

On December 9, 2024, it became known that Deputy Sergei Boyarsky (United Russia) may take the post of chairman of the Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications. The corresponding proposal is made by the State Duma Commission on Regulations. Read more here.

2020

Alexander Khinshtein named the main tasks of the State Duma Committee on IT and Communications

On February 5, 2020, the head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications, Alexander Khinshtein, spoke about the priorities of the committee's activities and interaction with the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications.

Khinshtein recalled that the committee did not always occupy a leading position in the State Duma and the information space. However, in his opinion, the previous head of the committee, Leonid Levin, managed to bring the work and status of the committee to a qualitatively different level.

I am sure that we will maintain continuity in the work of the committee and we will multiply all the best that Leonid Levin has laid down in his work. But, of course, we will not stop there and we will bring the work of the committee to a new height - to new team tasks and goals. This is doubly important, given that the issues of the management of our committee are among the priorities. Issues of digitalization of the country, openness and transparency of power, control over the activities of various structures - the first order, and it is they that the committee, together with federal authorities, will have to deal with, - said Alexander Khinshtein

Touching upon the topic of interaction with the Ministry of Communications, he drew attention to the fact that a colleague of the committee members, ex-senator of the Federation Council Lyudmila Bokova, came to the post of state secretary of the ministry in the past.

We expect that our understanding of the processes united with the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications will allow us to reach a qualitatively different level, - said Alexander Khinshtein

At the same time, he noted that the previous head of the ministry, Konstantin Noskov, had never attended committee meetings.

What speaks not about the low quality of the committee itself, but about the relations that have developed between it and the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications. But this situation will not continue in our country due to completely different approaches on the part of the new leadership of the ministry and an overall understanding of the processes, "Khinshtein said.

At the same time, he noted that he was extremely surprised to find that "in the structure of the seemingly most open department, which is the Ministry of Communications, the department responsible for communications with the press and the public has been completely abolished." The ministry, he said, is the only federal authority that lacks a press service. According to TAdviser, in the near future such a department in the Ministry of Communications may appear.

A common understanding of the processes with the Ministry of Communications will allow the committee and the ministry to reach a qualitatively different level of interaction, Alexander Khinshtein is sure

Alexander Khinshtein also spoke about several tasks set by the president, which, in his opinion, are the main and main for both the committee and the Ministry of Communications. Among them, the head of the committee noted the following:

• introduction of a unified register of citizens entitled to receive medicines;
• development and approval of the concept of creating an integrated information system for environmental monitoring;
• introduction of changes in the national program "Digital Economy," implying the creation and implementation of domestic software and software and hardware to accelerate the digital transformation of industries in the real sector of the economy;
• providing citizens free of charge with communication services, data transmission and access to; Internet
• providing a set of archival film and photo materials dedicated to the Second World War.

He also drew attention to the fact that the committee has a full understanding with the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications about the need to provide all participants in the disabled of the Second World War with free mobile phones with a certain limit of free communication.

Khinshtein also noted that the committee will participate together with the Ministry of Communications in changes in legislation - the implementation of a mechanism for applying experimental legal regimes for the development and introduction of new technologies in the country and ensuring the regulation of large amounts of data, taking into account human rights and freedoms.

This is also an extremely big problem. The more perfect services and services become, the more personal data falls into private hands. And we would very much not want the creation of new services and the emergence of big data at the same time to be accompanied by the opportunity to buy everything on the Mitinsky market, which was no longer rare. We must firmly believe that by translating the communication of the state and the citizen into a "figure," a person was really protected from penetration into his personal life, - said Alexander Khinshtein

According to him, the committee will work most closely on the implementation of the tasks set by the president.

We see our goal and tasks in order, combining efforts with relevant departments, to fulfill the tasks set by the president as quickly as possible, - said the head of the committee

Moreover, as Hinstein assured, if the committee sees that the government does not have time to introduce any initiatives on time, they will be introduced by the deputies themselves.

The instructions of the president must be carried out strictly, - said Khinshtein

Plans of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications for interaction with the committee

Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Maksut Shadayev spoke about the priorities of the Ministry of Communications and Communications and interaction with the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications, speaking at its expanded meeting held on February 5, 2020. Read more here.

Appointment of Alexander Khinshtein as head of the committee

On January 22, 2020, Alexander Khinshtein was appointed chairman of the committee on information policy, information technology and communications of the State Duma. This was announced by the committee on its official website. Read more here.

2014-2019

Focus on Information Technology

Speaking with TAdviser about the activities of the committee chaired by Leonid Levin, Arseniy Shcheltsin, General Director of ANO Digital Platforms, noted that the most significant action on his part during this period was special attention to the information technology industry. Before the leadership of Leonid Levin, according to Shcheltsin, the main agenda of the committee was the media, not information technology. Read more here.

Appointment of Leonid Levin as head of the committee

On September 26, 2014, the State Duma announced the appointment of Leonid Levin as head of the committee on information policy, information technology and communications.

Prior to his appointment, according to the official website of the State Duma, he served as the first deputy head of the committee.

Levin's candidacy, as reported by the State Duma, was nominated by the Just Russia faction and received the support of the parliamentary majority. The LDPR faction also proposed its candidacy - the candidate nominated by the party, Vadim Dengin, also served as deputy head of the committee.

According to Interfax, earlier, on September 23, 2014, by the decision of the lower house, deputy Alexei Mitrofanov was released from the post of head of the information policy committee. As the agency noted, this decision was explained by the fact that he had not appeared at work for the past three months. On June 10, 2014, the State Duma deprived him of immunity and agreed to be brought in as an accused in a criminal case. He was charged with fraud on an especially large scale. The investigation considered the deputy involved in extorting a large amount of money from a businessman.

2012: Creation of the Committee

The State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications was formed in September 2012 to implement legislative regulation in the field of information technology and mass communications.