Putin Signs Law Banning Fake News

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed the law banning the spread of fake information in media and online, with the relevant document published on the government's legal information portal

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th March, 2019) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed the law banning the spread of fake information in media and online, with the relevant document published on the government's legal information portal.

Last December, Russian lawmakers Andrey Klishas, Lyudmila Bokova, and Dmitry Vyatkin submitted to the Russian Duma the lower house of the Russian parliament a bill determining mechanisms for banning the spread of fake information of public importance in media and online.

In January, the lower house of the parliament passed bills assigning responsibility for parties spreading fake information in media and online and enabling regulators to ban the spread of fake information.

Under another bill submitted in December and passed in January, individuals spreading fake information will face fines of 3,000 rubles to 5,000 rubles (from $45.5 to $75.85), officials will face fines of 30,000 rubles to 50,000 rubles, and entities will face fines of 400,000 rubles to one million rubles and also confiscation of items with which the offense was carried out.