Slowing Down Internet Services and Preserving the Digital Economy: An Industry Perspective
The IT industry and parliamentarians have presented proposals for regulating the internet without harming the public and the commercial sector.
On April 15, the TASS Media Center hosted a press conference hosted by the RUSSOFT Association and the Digital World Union, a non-profit organization. Participants discussed network traffic management mechanisms to ensure the quality of digital services for the public and protect businesses from economic losses. During the event, State Duma deputies, top managers of technology companies, and heads of relevant associations presented proposals aimed at minimizing socioeconomic costs while strengthening the country's cybersecurity. A key focus of the discussion was the need to transition to targeted and technologically sound internet regulation. Experts oppose a blanket approach that would ban entire platforms, as this would negatively impact ordinary users, small businesses, large domestic businesses, and the IT sector, whose infrastructure often intersects with blocked resources. An alternative proposed is the use of Russian deep analysis technologies capable of identifying and isolating exclusively threatening content, while leaving legitimate domestic platforms operational. In other words, the focus must shift from complete shutdowns to targeted risk mitigation. During the event, five key initiatives were presented in detail, which will form the basis for future work by businesses and government agencies:
1. Targeted slowdown. Instead of completely shutting down resources, it is proposed to reduce speeds only for suspicious and malicious traffic. This is technically feasible. While maintaining regular users' access to legitimate services, this innovation will reduce the load on the infrastructure and discourage people from circumventing restrictions.
2. Digital comfort for citizens. Any internet restrictions should not impair the quality of life of ordinary users. The task of IT specialists is to ensure the uninterrupted operation of critical services (medicine, taxis, government services, banks), maintain user-friendly interfaces, and minimize inconvenience. Existing "whitelists" are in effect, but the procedure for inclusion in them remains closed. It is proposed to create a commission under the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, with the participation of industry representatives and parliamentarians, to promptly add new socially significant services to the lists.
3. Trusted VPNs instead of a blanket ban. A complete ban on VPN services harms businesses and reduces cybersecurity. The industry proposes, in addition to the reliable solutions already approved for the public sector and large corporations, approving a separate list of verified VPN services for small and medium-sized businesses.
4. Legalizing access to international services for accredited IT companies. Russian IT companies accredited by the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media must be allowed legal access to all necessary developer tools, including international platforms, libraries, and repositories. 5. Moratorium on the implementation of systems that collect personal data en masse. Impose an immediate moratorium on the launch of new services that are critically dependent on uninterrupted mobile communications. These include initiatives to legalize online sales of alcohol, energy drinks, and tobacco products, which require real-time data verification. Under current conditions, the priority should not be increasing traffic and straining infrastructure, but ensuring the resilience and security of existing critical services.
Comments from discussion participants: Dmitry Gusev, State Duma Deputy, First Deputy Head of the A JUST RUSSIA faction, First Deputy Head of the State Duma Committee on Control:
"During the period of temporary internet traffic restrictions, unconditional priority remains with government digital traffic. Government service platforms, emergency notification systems, and interdepartmental interaction systems must function without interruption. At the same time, it is important to rationally distribute network resources: preventing channel overloads while maintaining access to basic digital services on which people's daily lives depend. Telecom operators are required to prioritize traffic for critical government resources, while simultaneously developing backup routes and autonomous infrastructure segments."
Valery Korneev, Chairman of the Digital World Union:
"We propose an immediate moratorium on the launch of new services that are critically dependent on uninterrupted mobile communications and reliable remote identification. These include, in particular, initiatives to legalize online sales of alcohol, energy drinks, and tobacco products that require real-time data verification. In the current situation, when mobile internet access is limited to ensure the safety of citizens, the priority should not be increasing traffic and infrastructure loads, but rather ensuring the resilience and security of existing critical services. Launching high-load systems in such an environment creates unacceptable risks to national security."
Sergey Votyakov, Chairman of the Board of the RUSSOFT Association:
"The role of the RUSSOFT Association in these challenging times is to consolidate the views of IT companies and support the Russian Government's policies. Russian internet whitelists can be used for the benefit of society and business. Moreover, if used correctly, they can stimulate technological development. And this will happen if it becomes possible to use whitelists for online solutions and trusted clouds."
Eldar Murtazin, Leading Industry Analyst in Telecommunications and Mobile Devices:
"The world is in a race to master new technologies, not only artificial intelligence, but also industrial automation and the digitalization of the economy in the broadest sense. Russia can become one of the top three, but to do so, it must maintain the pace of development and promptly remove all emerging barriers, both external and internal. Potential threats require a balanced assessment and a rapid response. Security requires caution, but not at the expense of developing technologies that are becoming a catalyst for the economy, including offering new tools to combat any potential threats. We need to be proactive."
Alexey Smirnov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bazalt SPO:
"Banning cars for the sake of combating traffic violations is destructive. It is equally destructive to confuse VPNs, as one of the basic internet protocols, with specific services and information resources subject to blocking by law."
At the current stage, the technology sector must reorient itself from accelerated digitalization to ensuring the stability, security, and transparency of existing IT infrastructure. Experts believe it would be appropriate to postpone discussions of new digital projects, especially in sensitive areas of the consumer market (for example, remote sales of alcohol, tobacco products, vapes, and energy drinks), until after the end of active hostilities and the neutralization of terrorist risks, which currently complicate the free exchange of information.
The final recommendations will serve as the foundation for the step-by-step implementation of the digital sovereignty strategy. The final proposals will be submitted to the Russian Government.
1. Targeted slowdown. Instead of completely shutting down resources, it is proposed to reduce speeds only for suspicious and malicious traffic. This is technically feasible. While maintaining regular users' access to legitimate services, this innovation will reduce the load on the infrastructure and discourage people from circumventing restrictions.
2. Digital comfort for citizens. Any internet restrictions should not impair the quality of life of ordinary users. The task of IT specialists is to ensure the uninterrupted operation of critical services (medicine, taxis, government services, banks), maintain user-friendly interfaces, and minimize inconvenience. Existing "whitelists" are in effect, but the procedure for inclusion in them remains closed. It is proposed to create a commission under the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, with the participation of industry representatives and parliamentarians, to promptly add new socially significant services to the lists.
3. Trusted VPNs instead of a blanket ban. A complete ban on VPN services harms businesses and reduces cybersecurity. The industry proposes, in addition to the reliable solutions already approved for the public sector and large corporations, approving a separate list of verified VPN services for small and medium-sized businesses.
4. Legalizing access to international services for accredited IT companies. Russian IT companies accredited by the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media must be allowed legal access to all necessary developer tools, including international platforms, libraries, and repositories. 5. Moratorium on the implementation of systems that collect personal data en masse. Impose an immediate moratorium on the launch of new services that are critically dependent on uninterrupted mobile communications. These include initiatives to legalize online sales of alcohol, energy drinks, and tobacco products, which require real-time data verification. Under current conditions, the priority should not be increasing traffic and straining infrastructure, but ensuring the resilience and security of existing critical services.
Comments from discussion participants: Dmitry Gusev, State Duma Deputy, First Deputy Head of the A JUST RUSSIA faction, First Deputy Head of the State Duma Committee on Control:
"During the period of temporary internet traffic restrictions, unconditional priority remains with government digital traffic. Government service platforms, emergency notification systems, and interdepartmental interaction systems must function without interruption. At the same time, it is important to rationally distribute network resources: preventing channel overloads while maintaining access to basic digital services on which people's daily lives depend. Telecom operators are required to prioritize traffic for critical government resources, while simultaneously developing backup routes and autonomous infrastructure segments."
Valery Korneev, Chairman of the Digital World Union:
"We propose an immediate moratorium on the launch of new services that are critically dependent on uninterrupted mobile communications and reliable remote identification. These include, in particular, initiatives to legalize online sales of alcohol, energy drinks, and tobacco products that require real-time data verification. In the current situation, when mobile internet access is limited to ensure the safety of citizens, the priority should not be increasing traffic and infrastructure loads, but rather ensuring the resilience and security of existing critical services. Launching high-load systems in such an environment creates unacceptable risks to national security."
Sergey Votyakov, Chairman of the Board of the RUSSOFT Association:
"The role of the RUSSOFT Association in these challenging times is to consolidate the views of IT companies and support the Russian Government's policies. Russian internet whitelists can be used for the benefit of society and business. Moreover, if used correctly, they can stimulate technological development. And this will happen if it becomes possible to use whitelists for online solutions and trusted clouds."
Eldar Murtazin, Leading Industry Analyst in Telecommunications and Mobile Devices:
"The world is in a race to master new technologies, not only artificial intelligence, but also industrial automation and the digitalization of the economy in the broadest sense. Russia can become one of the top three, but to do so, it must maintain the pace of development and promptly remove all emerging barriers, both external and internal. Potential threats require a balanced assessment and a rapid response. Security requires caution, but not at the expense of developing technologies that are becoming a catalyst for the economy, including offering new tools to combat any potential threats. We need to be proactive."
Alexey Smirnov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bazalt SPO:
"Banning cars for the sake of combating traffic violations is destructive. It is equally destructive to confuse VPNs, as one of the basic internet protocols, with specific services and information resources subject to blocking by law."
At the current stage, the technology sector must reorient itself from accelerated digitalization to ensuring the stability, security, and transparency of existing IT infrastructure. Experts believe it would be appropriate to postpone discussions of new digital projects, especially in sensitive areas of the consumer market (for example, remote sales of alcohol, tobacco products, vapes, and energy drinks), until after the end of active hostilities and the neutralization of terrorist risks, which currently complicate the free exchange of information.
The final recommendations will serve as the foundation for the step-by-step implementation of the digital sovereignty strategy. The final proposals will be submitted to the Russian Government.
