Poll Shows Russians Divided On Need For Control Over Social Networks

Interfax | Sept. 28, 2011 | JRL 2011-175-21 | JRL Home

Moscow, 28 September: The idea of control over social networks on the internet has divided Russians: 42 per cent of respondents polled by the Superjob.ru portal are respectively for and against this measure. Supporters of this idea believe that control by the state will help "protect both children and adults from unnecessary information which is imposed on us regardless of our will", while opponents are sure that "this is a violation of human rights". Sixteen per cent of those polled had difficulty answering the question. "It is necessary from the point of view of exposing asocial individuals but it is not necessary if they will read my personal messages," these respondents said.

The poll, conducted on 16 September among 1,600 Russians, showed that there are noticeably more women than men among the supporters of introducing control over social networks - 50 per cent against 33 per cent.

Russian Prosecutor-General Yuriy Chayka put forward an initiative on establishing control over social networks on the internet (on 14 September). (Passage omitted: Chayka's remarks about the need for more control over on-line social networks following the riots in London and other UK cities in August)