The Kremlin internet plot

Russian internet users fear that the Kremlin is trying to establish a separate web for Russia making it easier for the authorities to control access and monitor users. But has the Kremlin left it too late?

According to the international domain agency ICANN, the aim is to start up a cyrillic web - the alphabet used in Russian and other languages of the former Soviet Union - separate to the rest of the worldwide web. ICANN reports that Russia is seeking a new domain name - '.rf' in the Russian alphabet or '.pΦ' in cyrillic - in addition to its current Roman alphabet one, '.ru'. This request echoes recent Chinese trials to establish Chinese-character domains in order to restrict and monitor internet users' surfing habits.

Wolfgang Kleinwachter, special adviser to the