MOSCOW, February 16 (Itar-Tass) - RIA Novosti. The issue of monitoring social networks for the purpose of identifying "columbine communities" should be resolved after the adoption of the bill on the blocking of websites that persuade children and adolescents to commit crimes and the definition of an agency that will decide on a ban, said the head of Roskomnadzor Alexander Zharov.

Earlier, a member of the State Duma Committee for Education and Science, Alena Arshinova, applied to Roskomnadzor with a request to block a number of "columbine communities" (the copycat-makers call themselves imitators of American teenagers who fired at Columbine School in 1990) in social networks, and suggested creating a special structure in the agency to monitor social networks in order to detect such groups in time.

"The issue of monitoring the information space for the purpose of identifying the information specified in your letter is expedient to be solved after making the appropriate amendments to Article 15.1 of the Federal Law No. 149-FZ and determining the federal executive body authorized to take decisions on the recognition of such information as prohibited," reads the letter -Report Zharov, which is at the disposal of RIA Novosti.

As explained by the head of Roskomnadzor, at the present time the vice-speaker of the State Duma Irina Yarovoy drafted a bill that amends the article of the Federal Law "On Information, Information Technologies and Information Protection", it is possible to out-court restrict access to information inflecting or involving adolescents to commit acts dangerous to their lives.

"If this bill is adopted, the next step in its implementation will be the determination by the government of the Russian Federation of a federal executive body authorized to take decisions on the recognition of such information as prohibited," the head of Roskomnadzor said in a letter.

Zharov also stressed that Roskomnadzor is a law enforcement body and does not have the right to initiate legislation. This right is at the higher body of state power - the Ministry of Communications and Mass Communications, he said.

The head of the department also said that after receiving a letter from the deputy, Roskomnadzor is discussing with the administration of the social network "VKontakte" the possibility of removing certain materials from communities recognized as banned.

Yarovaya previously drafted a bill, according to which it is proposed to give Roskomnadzor the right to out-of-court blocking of websites with information that inclines children and adolescents to crimes. As noted, the document was sent to the Investigative Committee, the Prosecutor General's Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Communications and Roskomnadzor, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education and Science for preliminary approval.

Link: https://ria.ru/society/20180216/1514739185.html?inj=1