Interfax: Kremlin criticises media’s take of “Yarovaya laws”

(Interfax – September 26, 2016)

The Kremlin has criticised media coverage of the so-called “Yarovaya package” of anti-terrorist laws, accusing journalists of being too emotional in their reporting and exaggerating the laws’ provisions, privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax reported on 26 September.

“All of these themes are being reflected in the media within a very lively discussion. Much of it does not correspond to reality, and much of it is being portrayed by media outlets in an exaggerated manner,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying.

“It is not worth giving in to one’s emotions on this issue, we need to wait until the work requested by the Russian president has been finished, and those who were asked to perform that work will inform society in the necessary manner,” Peskov added.

Peskov recalled that, shortly after the “Yarovaya package” of laws was passed, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a series of orders for their implementation. “In accordance with these orders, the Communications Ministry is working together with the intelligence services, network operators, service providers, and so on, in order to determine the parameters for work in implementing this part of legislation,” the spokesman said, noting that “there are no specific results yet”.

It was previously reported that Natalya Kasperskaya, co-founder of the Kaspersky antivirus software company and member of a working group under the presidential administration, had confirmed that the Russian authorities were discussing ways to decipher and analyse all internet traffic in the country.