Russia To Ban Swearing On The Internet

from the bloody-hell dept

A year ago, we wrote about a Russian law that introduced a blacklist designed to block access to information on drugs, suicide and child pornography (all for the children, of course.) Strangely, that same law was then used to silence leading reporters who dared to criticize the government (bet nobody saw that coming....)

Well, Russian politicians are back to thinking of the children now, and want to make further amendments to the law, as this report on the English version of Pravda reveals:

State Duma Deputy Yelena Mizulina intends to make further amendments to the Law "On the Protection of Children." The chairwoman of the Committee on Family, Women and Children put forward a suggestion to punish people for using dirty language in social networks.

According to politician, the pages full of posts and messages containing swear words, will have to be blocked within 24 hours, if harmful information is not deleted. This should apply to pages on social networks, websites, and various forums.
Yes, you read that correctly: the new law would forbid the use of "dirty language" pretty much anywhere online. If the offending phrases aren't quickly removed, the relevant page will be added to the blacklist. The chairman of the Moscow Regional Bar Association, Sergei Smirnov, is all for it:
"Obscene language offends both children and adults. A ban on its use is not an infringement of human rights. This is a direction towards a civilized lifestyle. If we do not use foul language in real life, then why do we use it on the Internet?"
Right: so politicians want a ban on swearing online, because apparently no one in Russia ever swears offline.

That'll work.

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Filed Under: for the children, free speech, internet, russia, swearing


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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 10:46am

    "If we do not use foul language in real life, then why do we use it on the Internet?"

    Easily countered: "I use foul language in real life".

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ninja (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 10:49am

    I'm sure this would fit in the Russian Reversal meme...

    I vote for this same article to be written by Tim (any of them or both in a combo) for shitloads of laughter! *raises hand*

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 10:50am

    who ever brings this forward

    who ever brings this forward i want to hit there hand with a hammer and listen to all the polite shit they say LOL

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Nigel (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 10:56am

    How the fuck do they plan on enforcing this :)

    Nigel

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Ninja (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 10:59am

      Re:

      ебля дерьмо!

      Special thanks to Google Translate. Whatever is written there.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 1:57pm

      Re:

      The only way they'd realistically enforce this is to shut down the Internet, because that worked so well for Arab Spring countries, right?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Robert A. Rosenberg (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 9:20pm

      Re: Enforcing Cursing Ban

      Nigel asked
      "How the fuck do they plan on enforcing this :)"

      By administering a case of Lead Poisoning (via Hypersonically delivering copper covered lead pellets) to those who curse on the internet.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Mike Masnick (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 10:57am

    Disappointed...

    ... that the first comment on this story wasn't something like "Oh, fuck."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Ninja (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:02am

      Re: Disappointed...

      *puts on English style hat with a fancy monocle and starts speaking with that somewhat royal, somewhat weird British accent*

      Your readers are very polite, dear sir. You should be glad you will be in total compliance with the Russian law. The best you would hear from these distinct gentleman would be "Oh, feces!". Ahem.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:35am

        Re: Re: Disappointed...

        I think the proper "translation" here is "Oh, Coitus".

        "Oh, Intercourse" is acceptable, but just doesn't roll off the tongue.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Ninja (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 12:49pm

          Re: Re: Re: Disappointed...

          Why thank you for your polite admonishment on my lack of attention, sir! In my impetus to defend our distinguished readers I "translated" what would perfectly fit in the referred moment but did not reflect what our grandiloquent writer expected. Ahem.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          btrussell (profile), 5 Aug 2013 @ 2:07am

          Re: Re: Re: Disappointed...

          To roll on the tongue, you need "Oh, Oral sex."

          link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:11am

      Re: Disappointed...

      Personally, I'm more disappointed that no one has made a "In Soviet Russia..." joke.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        PRMan, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:39am

        Re: Re: Disappointed...

        In Soviet Russia, you will swear at the internet?

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:45am

          Re: Re: Re: Disappointed...

          In America, you filter the Internet for profanity. In Soviet Russia, the Internet filters YOU for profanity.

          Something like that? Eh, not that great.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          TaCktiX (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 12:29pm

          Re: Re: Re: Disappointed...

          No, it's "in Soviet Russia, the internet will swear at you!" (the idiots proposing this legislation)

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • icon
            Ninja (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 12:53pm

            Re: Re: Re: Re: Disappointed...

            In Soviet Russia the internet filters YOU.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

            • icon
              Niall (profile), 30 Jul 2013 @ 4:51am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Disappointed...

              In Soviet Russia, the fucking US promise you that they won't fucking torture or kill their dissidents.

              That irony *never* gets old :)

              link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      CK20XX, 29 Jul 2013 @ 12:01pm

      Re: Disappointed...

      I was tempted because I love seeing precision irony strikes, but I just don't swear, not online nor in real life. It's not nice!

      Besides, hearing the word "fuck" echoed everywhere as-is only reminds me of the species' insipid obsession with propagation. It's like, the more people yammer about how awesome sex is, the more convinced I am that it is one of the biggest nothings to ever exist. I've seen that church many times and I'm not interested in joining it.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Rikuo (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 12:10pm

      Re: Disappointed...

      I think Cartman said it best

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGHcFfqZl34

      Happy now Mike? It's even got your favourite "celebrity" in there ^^

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:05am

    How are they going to go about enforcing this? Because that's the question how are they going to stop private chats, foreign swearing, ect?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      crade (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:10am

      Re:

      The same way all these sort of laws are enforced.. Not at all unless it suits some agenda.. If your political opponent's or some critic's site had a comment on it with language that could be interpreted as foul, you can shut it down.. That sort of thing.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:12am

    Censoring people's speech, isn't very 'civilized'. The ones pushing for civility, are the most barbaric of all.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:13am

    I would not be surprised of the Christian Right had something to do with this. It was religious lunatics that pressed for Pussy Riot to be prosecuted.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 12:31pm

      Re:

      Given how far reaching this is, much like the CDA would have been, if upheld by the Supreme Court, I wonder if we will have the nutcases the advocated boycotting the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta over the CDA advocating a boycott what could be considered Russia's version of the CDA.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      John Nieler, 30 Jul 2013 @ 1:41am

      Response to: Anonymous Coward on Jul 29th, 2013 @ 11:13am

      Oh look, a disgruntled atheist stating that Christians are to blame for such a ban being created. Good thing you're an Anonymous Coward.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Niall (profile), 30 Jul 2013 @ 4:53am

        Re: Response to: Anonymous Coward on Jul 29th, 2013 @ 11:13am

        Most atheists don't have the kind of 'moral anal ramrod' that causes them to start censoring others of things that harm no-one. Christianists, though, along with the other Abrahamic religions, can be a bit close-minded about stuff like this.

        Or will you tell me that the Victorians were all rampaging atheists?

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Transmitte (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:25am

    In Soviet Russia...

    Yeah, I see this happening. Good luck with that.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:26am

    it isn't this half wit that's got an arm up Cameron's back, is it? this is as big a load of crap for an idea as what he's coming out with! this attitude of 'i dont like this, so everyone else has to do likewise' has got to stop! it's the thin end of the censorship wedge that will definitely make things worse even before they get worse!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:29am

    Words change meaning

    A language community can choose any word as a swear word, or as a substitute for a banned word. E.g. racists in the US using "Canadians" as meaning black people, as a sad but real example.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Alt0, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:50am

      Re: Words change meaning

      A local cop here has told me they (the cops her) use "Canadians" on the police radio in the way you described.

      Going to be a lot of banned sites in Russia now.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      AdamBv1 (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 1:25pm

      Re: Words change meaning

      One of my favorite examples of this was on 4chan when "nigger" became an instaban word it almost instantly got replaced with "redguard" (yes, as in the ones from the Elder Scrolls games).

      And I had not heard of "Canadians" as a euphemism for black people before, that would be incredibly confusing to me if I heard it in conversation.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        John Fenderson (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 4:18pm

        Re: Re: Words change meaning

        I've never heard of that before, either, but it raises a pressing question: what do they say if they're talking about Canadians?

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 30 Jul 2013 @ 1:35am

      Re: Words change meaning

      Wait, as an American I've never heard of this. Where the heck did you hear an American using 'Canadian' to refer to someone with dark skin?...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 30 Jul 2013 @ 12:52pm

        Re: Re: Words change meaning

        I heard it used in northern Virginia in the context of restaurant server discussions.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Nick Burns (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:39am

    If the assholes in Congress tried to pull this kind of shit here, it would fucking piss me off.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      A Monkey with Attitude, 29 Jul 2013 @ 12:20pm

      Re:

      But they are, just not quite as open... listen to their views of the internet and many other things, i.e. "I dont like x, so nobody should do it"....

      An easy way to live, if what i do doesnt physically affect anyone else, nor thier properity, then it is fine and they should do be the same, ie. FUCK OFF about giving a shit what i do, for i dont care what they do..

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    FM Hilton, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:39am

    We can swear?

    Oh, dammit, they have to go and make it illegal for people to give free expression to their innermost thoughts?

    Or as I always think:

    "What the fuck!?"

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:45am

    In Soviet Russia, bad language uses YOU to express shades of meaning!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:56am

    In other news, all swear words now start with a D

    In other news, the Internet decides to chop off the first letter of all swear words and add a D to the beginning of each swear words instead.

    Also, this decision has resulted in a LOT more joke webpages about Ducks, and people saying 'Duck you' to each other.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 30 Jul 2013 @ 1:38am

      Re: In other news, all swear words now start with a D

      That would work exceptionally well except for all swearwords beginning with D.

      I vote for using Z instead.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 11:58am

    Fuck that!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 12:19pm

    Are you allow to swear on Russian TV? If so I would think that this policy would prevent legal TV streams of Russian content.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Zakida Paul (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 12:26pm

    I am reminded of the opening 5 mins of Four Weddings and a Funeral. That film will cease to exist on the Internet in Russia.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Not Applicable, 29 Jul 2013 @ 1:01pm

    Bollocks

    What a fucking load of old bollocks

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    William Turner, 29 Jul 2013 @ 1:37pm

    I hope swearing to be banned everywhere.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 1:44pm

    Ouch.
    I hope nobody ends up fucking swearing in the comments once this gets passed.

    Might get Techdirt blocked in Russia.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Pickle Monger (profile), 29 Jul 2013 @ 2:10pm

    Considering that she is also the main sponsor of the law banning mentioning homosexuality, this new move is not that surprising. That said, some of the most celebrated Russian authors have used the very words the esteemed Deputy is trying to remove from view. What exactly is she planning to do with those works of art that use the swear words? Does she think herself worthy of editing the works of Pushkin or Mayakovsky? If so, she is profoundly delusional.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous, 29 Jul 2013 @ 2:40pm

    There appears to be a couple of s's missing from the end of Duma.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Pixelation, 29 Jul 2013 @ 2:44pm

    Shit!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Watchit, 29 Jul 2013 @ 2:54pm

    Fuck 'em

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 3:50pm

    In the UK people actually build the great-firewall-of-porn.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJfyNwM6Lw8

    Maybe in Russia people create the great-firewall-of-cussing.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Rekrul, 29 Jul 2013 @ 4:54pm

    So Russia is going to block the entire internet?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Guardian, 29 Jul 2013 @ 4:58pm

    so a polish guy and a russian meet at the border

    they get into argument over a potato, and start swearing ....they gonna arrest the Russian now for swearing into a foreign land?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Digitari, 29 Jul 2013 @ 5:22pm

    the best part of this.........

    in America, Some site are blocked or banned because of talk about "drugs" In Russia, "Drugs" are your friends.....

    (is it possible to have illicit "friends")

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Dane, 29 Jul 2013 @ 5:43pm

    Hey, Russia

    Fuck you, Russia.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    AndrewLee, 29 Jul 2013 @ 6:19pm

    Gotta do it.

    Shit - дерьмо
    Piss - моча
    Fuck - ебать
    Cunt - влагалище
    Cocksucker - хуесос
    Motherfucker - ублюдок
    Tits - сиськи

    Okay I feel better now.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Maria, 30 Jul 2013 @ 4:04am

      Response to: AndrewLee on Jul 29th, 2013 @ 6:19pm

      I feel better to! Thanx and my favourite offensive word is:
      Motherfucker ;-)

      Swearing is good for the soul sometimes and helps to release stress

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Rekrul, 30 Jul 2013 @ 7:07am

      Re:

      George Carlin would be proud. :)

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 7:30pm

    shut your damn whore mouths you fuckcunts

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2013 @ 10:18pm

    Son of a mother duck!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jul 2013 @ 3:02am

    So, if they want to censor something, they just have to add a shit-load of insulting comments on it ?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Angry Voter, 30 Jul 2013 @ 3:59am

    For most of it's history

    For most of history, Russia has been a backwards laughing stock of ignorance and superstition. That was strictly due to religion because once religion was banned, Russia quickly became a global superpower with first class math and science.

    Already the priests have adorned themselves in gold like whores and drive around in Mercedes looking for boys to molest.

    Letting religion back into power will ruin Russia completely.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    lemonzeye, 30 Jul 2013 @ 5:43am

    Because, this

    "Yes, Russia is a wholesome country with no swearing or offensive anything, so I can understand why they'd want to do this."

    Said no one, ever. Truth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrU1hZxSEXQ

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jul 2013 @ 9:53am

    Now it's even more easy to incriminate websites.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Big Guy, 30 Jul 2013 @ 10:35am

    You've got to be kiddng me..

    You've got to be kidding me. I mean agree that people should be respectful to others and what they say, but come on.. trying to ban swearing online is like trying to keep teenage girls from having sex, lol it's just not gonna work.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jul 2013 @ 3:19pm

    ну блять, эти засранци полности ахуели.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 31 Jul 2013 @ 8:24am

    )(`/ũ|-|,|

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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