Russia’s senators have approved the law “On information, information technologies and the protection of information.” According to experts at InfoWatch, when combined with the law “On personal data”, the new law should create a civilized environment for the exchange and storage of digital data.
Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, has approved the law “On information, information technologies and the protection of information.” The document regulates searches, the receiving, sending and distribution of information, as well as safeguards for information. It is currently being determined which categories of information will be available to the general public and which will be subject to limited access. The latter has to be determined by a federal law.
In line with the law, the holders of information can be private or legal entities, constituent members of the Russian Federation, municipal constituents or the Russian Federation itself. The entity is entitled to allow or restrict access to that information as it sees fit. It is prohibited to demand information from an individual about his personal or family secrets. The procedures for accessing data of a personal nature also have to be outlined by a separate federal law. It is also being clarified what information containing professional secrets can be granted to a third party by a court ruling.
Modifications to the federal law could stipulate that those using telecommunication networks for commercial purposes have to be identified. At the same time, people receiving e-mails have a right to check who the sender was, and in a number of instances are obliged to carry out such checks. Those holding information or operating data systems must also prevent unauthorized access to that information.
The paragraph of the law that regulates the documentation of information states that e-mails signed with a digital signature are equivalent to documents signed by hand if other normative acts do not stipulate otherwise. It has also been clarified that the new law does not extend to legal safeguards for intellectual activities.
After the new law comes into force the federal law “On information, informatization, and the protection of information,” which has been in force since 1995, will be declared obsolete.
“The current legislation in Russia governing the sphere of IT and IT security is of no use whatsoever. However, our legislators are constantly perfecting it. I think that if Russia adopts the law on personal data and this law on information, we will have the beginnings of a civilized system for the transfer and storage of digital data. The sooner this happens the better,” believes Denis Zenkin, marketing director at InfoWatch.
Source: CNews
