Internet providers: We’ll close business if situation resembles one in North Korea

Lukashenka’s decree on Internet censorship arouses concern among Internet service providers, which will fall under tight control.

Maksim Lyaudanski, the general director of Aichyna Plus company, says there are a few controversial moments in the decree, which should be explained to providers by different ministries and institutions.

“There are a few controversial moments that have to be explained. Only after explanation can clarify advantages and disadvantages,” Lyaudanski told in an interview to Euroradio.

The director fo Aichyna Plus company says the decree will be amended.

“Every document pursues its own aims. Those who are to change the decree will proceed from its aims. If the objective is development, this is one thing. If the objective is punishment, amendments will be different,” the businessman believes.

At the same time he admits that the Interment has a few problems that must be solved:

“There is a problem, indeed. 90% of traffic flows abroad. But the question remains if the decree is capable of resolving it. On the other hand, the majority of big business is in the state-owned sector, which is controlled directly by Lukashenka. Perhaps, it makes sense to obey orders of an enterprise director. Otherwise, nobody will do anything without director's order.”

According to Maksim Lyaudanski, the decree obliges governmental bodies to develop their websites. Perhaps, they will do it on an appropriate level:

“About 15% have websites. A half of these 15% were done for free by students as their term projects. As a result, we have an unprofessional image of Belarus. It is probably wrong.”

If the decree is aimed at developing Internet image of the country, Maksim Lyaudanski supports it. However, another variant of developments is possible.

“If the decree has such an aim, this is good, I am ready to support it. But if an aim is different, if we have chosen the way of North Korea, I should close the business and leave this market. There’s no sense to continue working in such conditions,” the director of Aichyna Plus said.

Andrei Bastunets, the deputy head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), doesn’t see anybody who can gain advantages of the decree. According to him, both providers and users will lose. Ministries won’t amend the decree considerably. The decree is a system of restrictions, he thinks. But the internet should follow a different direction – not towards restrictions.

“One should take into account that the transnational means of communication and information should be discussed and coordinated with the European nations. It is necessary to promote the development of the Internet and search for possibilities to make it cheaper in order to expand communication channels and to increase the number of communication gateways,” the expert thinks.

In his opinion, if the decree makes the Internet service cheaper, this will be the only good thing it can bring. But this could have been achieved without the aforementioned regulation.