Russia bans anonymous Wi-Fi
Source: Larry Seltzer
According to the state-owned news agency ITAR-TASS, the government of Russia has banned anonymous access to Wi-Fi.
The report says that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed an order banning such access to the Internet in establishments offering Wi-Fi connections, such as restaurants and public spaces.
Instead, the operators of the communications services will have to identify users with a full name confirmed by an ID. The report says that hardware must also be identified, although it's not clear what this means.
The ITAR-TASS story refers to an announcement on the Russian government web site; we have not been able to locate the announcement.
A story by the US-owned Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty adds that bloggers also may no longer remain anonymous and that "[a] recent law requires bloggers with more than 3,000 daily readers to register with the country's mass media regulator, Roskomnadzor, and conform to the regulations that govern Russia's regular media outlets."
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