Russian Media Censor Roskomnadzor Blocks Major Crypto News Website

Bits.media, a starring quality outlet successful Russia’s crypto space, has been blocked by Russia’s telecom and wide media watchdog, Roskomnadzor. The tract is present inaccessible done astir Russian net providers, the online variation announced, stating it intends to contention the measure.

Roskomnadzor Denies Russians Access to Bits.media

Crypto quality website Bits.media became unavailable to astir of its readers successful Russia this week and its squad recovered that the Russian media censor Roskomnadzor is to blame. The authorities bureau has added an unspecified fig of its pages to a registry of net sources disseminating banned information.

The artifact results from a ruling by the Volzhsky District Court of the metropolis of Saratov successful a suit initiated by the section prosecutor’s bureau connected March 31. The justice granted the prosecutor’s petition connected April 24 aft considering the lawsuit successful the lack of the media outlet’s owners, Bits.media explained successful a post.

According to the published decision, 5 URLs were targeted arsenic they contained “information aimed astatine promoting crimes successful the tract of legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime.” It remains unclear whether lone Bits.media addresses were affected and the ceremonial crushed for the measurement is unknown. The platform’s founder, Ivan Tikhonov, was quoted arsenic saying:

We are an funny enactment successful the case, but nary 1 notified america of the proceedings. We were not fixed immoderate accidental to region the materials astir which the Saratov prosecutor’s bureau had questions. We powerfully disagree with the verdict.

Bits.media plans to entreaty the court’s determination arsenic it has already won a akin lawsuit successful the past. In January 2015, Russian net regulators blocked the website referring to a ruling by the Nevyansk City Court of the Sverdov region. The section authoritative motivated his plea with the request to “protect an indefinite ellipse of persons.” Seven websites were restricted, but the ruling was overturned aboriginal that year.

Then, successful March 2020, Roskomnadzor blacklisted 5 websites offering accusation and services related to cryptocurrencies. The forum conception of Bits.media was besides targeted. Just arsenic with the website now, it was inactive disposable successful Russia via VPNs and browser plugins.

Other operators of Russian crypto platforms person besides successfully challenged specified decisions. In March 2018, the Saint Petersburg City Court struck down a prohibition connected 40 websites publishing crypto content. The pursuing month, Russia’s Supreme Court overturned a ruling restricting entree to the Bitcoininfo.ru portal. In May 2019, Roskomnadzor had to region Bestchange.ru from its registry aft prosecutors gave up efforts to artifact the website.

Do you expect Roskomnadzor and the Russian judiciary to instrumentality akin steps regarding different crypto quality outlets? Tell america successful the comments conception below.