Russia presses case for greater control over its internet

The Kremlin spokesman says reports that the U.S. military carried out a cyberattack in Russia ahead of the U.S. midterm elections proves that the country needs to create its own, self-controlled segment of the internet.

Russia's parliament this month passed the first reading of a bill that proposes all internet traffic be routed through servers in Russia. Opponents fear the measure would lead to widespread censorship.

Dmitry Peskov was reacting on Wednesday to a recent report in The Washington Post that quoted unnamed U.S. officials as saying that the U.S. military remotely blocked internet access to a Russian "troll factory" ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.

 

Several of the troll farm's employees have been indicted in the United States.