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The Russian parliament has voted to approve a new law that would a give the government powers to blacklist certain sites. Supporters of the law say that it will help the authorities block sites containing images of child abuse and other illegal material. People who oppose the law have, however, warned that censorship could later be extended. According to the BBC, the bill still needs to be signed by President Vladimir Putin to become law. It must also be approved by Russia 's upper house, the Federation Council of Russia. Local reports suggest it could come into force by November. According to a report by Radio Free Europe, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev defended has the law, saying 'people's basic rights and freedoms must be upheld, including the right to information on the one hand and the right to be protected against harmful content on the other hand'. Critics have, however, complained that once Internet providers have been forced to start blocking certain sites, the government may seek court orders to expand the blacklist.

Russian parliament approves 'Internet censorship' law