At the beginning of this week the website “Medusa”, covering the global and Russian news agenda, became available again in Kazakhstan. However, not completely and not all: in most parts of the country, “Medusa” is still locked on the first day of its existence, with the exception of only the owners of phones with android-platform. The new editor in chief of the website Ivan Kolpakov sent to subscribers “Medusa” a letter in which he said that the developers created a program site, allowing to bypass the blockage in Kazakhstan.
“Over the past year our technical department has played cat and mouse with the local officials, and officials were winning – our applications are not able to work in this country more than a week. Today we released a new Android-application where there is a button “Add to Kazakhstan”: if you live there, try out a new feature. If local authorities want to block us, with us they would have to cripple half of Google. Let’s see what happens, “- writes Kolpakov.
“Medusa” – with caveats such as the lack of certain features in the mobile version – running on mobile devices (except IPhone) without interruption.But the case of the resource-based former team of the site “to Lenta.ru,” in some sense an exception to the rule: usually blocked in Kazakhstan foreign site has virtually no chance of unlocking. And if that happens, then the owners of the resource often forced to guess, from what suddenly happened “electronic amnesty”.
Block by block
Website “Medusa” was blocked almost on the first day of its existence in October 2014 after the article Ilya Azar “Ust-Kamenogorsk People’s Republic” about the possibility of a repetition of the Crimean events six months earlier. At the same time, according to the publisher’s “Medusa”Elijah Dyer , from the authorities, they have not received any information on the prohibition of the activity site in Kazakhstan.
In the edition of the site “Medusa” in Riga. March 30, 2015.
“Official papers we have seen, calls have been received. All the reasons we know only from the press, and on blocking learned from users. The reasons are clear. Material about the Russian in Kazakhstan is considered extremism “, – said Ilya Dyer in a written correspondence with a reporterAzattyk in October 2015.
Nevertheless, official papers were. An application for site blocking Liaison Committee, information and data of the Ministry of Investment and Development of Kazakhstan sent October 22, 2014 in Esil district court of Astana. The commentary site Tengrinews.kz Representatives Committee stated that in the article “Medusa” showed signs of excitement ethnic hatred or enmity, as well as indirect calls for the violent disruption of the integrity of the territory of Kazakhstan. Ilya Dyer in early March 2016 comments Azattyk said that the meaning to persuade officials edition sees. As has now become clear, the publication found its way.
Erotic or article about authoritarianism
Through correspondence with the officials decided to go another resource guide – the online version of the popular men’s magazine Maxim. Magazine site has been blocked for a year. The exact date of the beginning of the block is unknown, resource managers themselves, too, this was not followed. According to the chief editor Alexander Malenkov , signals the impossibility of access to the site, they also did not receive from the regulatory authorities, and from readers and acquaintances.
– Your power could strain our naked girls – suggests Malenkov. – It’s erotic, it is suitable in Russia under the category of “16+”. And here is how it taboo in Kazakhstan, I do not know.
Your authorities could exert our naked girls. It’s erotic, it is suitable in Russia under the category of “16+”. And here is how it taboo in Kazakhstan, I do not know.
Due to the fact that the site, according to the chief editor Maxim, was not warned about blocking, as speculation about the reasons put forward Alexander Malenkov even the idea that the motive could be the material of authoritarianism, published on the website.But keyword search showed that about President Nursultan Nazarbayev did not mention, not only in this article, but also on the site at all.
Alexander Malenkov sent a letter to clarify the reasons for blocking the site in Kazakhstan General Prosecutor’s Office, Liaison Committee, information and data, and the main provider – “Kazakhtelecom”. Replies in writing to editors and website did not receive, but the site is unexpectedly unblocked within one month, and without explaining any reasons for the ban, nor the reasons for the sudden indulgence.
Website Maximonline.ru could be blocked for any reason. The magazine does not hide his ironic attitude to all things, without exception, he writes about international politics and drugs, and corruption.
Kazakhstan has also blocked the site of the famous Russian journalist Oleg Kashin Kashin.guru, similar problems were at the site of radio “Echo of Moscow”, there is no access to Ferghananews.com site is still blocked by the same “Medusa.”
bloc mentality
In early 2016 it became known that the law “On Telecommunications” provides rules that allow communication Committee, information and data of the Ministry of Investment and Development of Kazakhstan to block sites without a court order, and it has allowed the agency still less to explain its position on this or that lock.
– On the imposition of court decisions it took up to two months, and illegal material at the time circulated on the Internet. However, a lot of criticism was part of the court. “If the law clearly spelled out restrictions on any information, why would you request our decision? Why do not you stop by? “- Sounded and such proposals. Therefore, we have made changes in the law and have been authorized – then said the representative of the Ministry of Investment and Development Bekzat Rakhimov .
Management committee officials say that all owners of blocked resources can complain and they warned about blocking. But, according to the Public Fund lawyer “Legal media center” Gulmira Birzhanova , not in all cases, this rule is observed.
Logic in different locks are absent. Though we have talked with representatives of the locked resources, never notified of blocking does not act.
– Logic in different locks are absent. Though we have talked with representatives of the locked resources, never notice a lock does not come, – says Gulmira Birzhanova Azattyk .
According to her, we can talk about the system of locks “just in case” when the committee makes an order prohibiting a resource, but the reason for seeking post factum. The same opinion is shared by the head of the organization pressozaschitnoy “Adil Soz” Kaleyeva :
– I see the need for locks once more to protect themselves against any accusations. It’s just a safety net: it is easier to forbid this or that resource than to listen to later accusations that it failed to notice, or any other violation.
According to Gulmira Birzhanova, Informatization Committee has adequate tools to block sites not need to ask permission of the court, there is no black list of blocked sites (and no one will ever know exactly denied it or not). At the same time by the committee sometimes hear the statement that to some locks irrelevant. So it was, for example, in the case of the blocking of websites and Ratel.kz Zonakz.net. However, Gulmira Birzhanova suggested that, even if the committee and had no direct relation to it, blocking sites still carried out from the territory of Kazakhstan.
It’s just a safety net: it is easier to forbid this or that resource than to listen to later accusations that it failed to notice, or any other violation.
An example of “Medusa” indicates that any action blockers, sooner or later there is a reaction. Gulmira Birzhanova says that the country has officially banned anonymizer, but do not really understand how its own program of “Medusa” can be considered as such. If the chief editor Ivan Kolpakov not exaggerating, the possibility of problems with Google can be a stop sign for themselves blockers.
The position of the authorities on the activities of Internet resources on removing the lock could not be found. For any questions related to the Committee, the Office was asked to send a letter by regular mail.”Kazakhtelecom” as a performer on the lock Azattyk request forbidden sites, posted in March, did not answer.
PS When the material was prepared for publication, the editors Azattyk has received from “Kazakhtelecom” response to your request. In one sentence says that kashin.guru resources, medusa.io, fergananews.com, echo.msk.ru, maximonline.ru network of “Kazakhtelecom” “not blocked”.
Source: http://ru.krymr.com/content/article/27686802.html