Council of Republic approved hard draft law on information security

The “upper house” of the Belarusian “parliament” approved a draft law on information security.

The Draft Law on Information, Informatisation and Information Security was adopted by the “house of representatives” on October 9.

As the authors of the law think, it must regulate order of access of citizens to information, regulate issues on exchange of information and a measure of its defence, determine rights and duties of owners of software and hardware tools.

However, independent experts think that this law narrowed information area in Belarus down.

According to lawyer Mikhail Pastukhou, “a total control over all streams of information will be established in Belarus. The so called information ghetto will be created, where the state will be able to watch and control any information.”

“From now on, people will get only selected information, if it concerns them or their relatives. Access to information about activity of governmental agencies, economic, political situation, international life is doubtful. That means that the state is becoming an owner, a monopolist of all information,” Mikhail Pastukhou explains.

The new law is to go in force six months after its official publication.