The Kremlin is paying researchers to study the prevention of online anonymity

The Kremlin has commissioned a study of “content development and trust-building on the Internet.” This includes looking into methods of preventing anonymous activities online and developing ways of regulating information posted anonymously.

Researchers will also investigate encryption methods and encryption monitoring of online traffic. The commissioned study will also address the possible use of “filters” on the Russian Internet, based on models now in place in China, the United States, Germany, and France.

The study will most likely be carried out by the company Giprosvyaz, which previously developed a model for international Internet governance, also commissioned by the Kremlin. The new study will cost 1.35 million rubles ($23,672).

The government is also interested in the possibility of influencing the development of the Russian segment of the Internet. This includes the formation of public opinions online, control over how Internet companies use personal data, the development and popularization of trustworthy information resources, and the risks and difficulties that come with all of these measures.

Recently, the Russian government implemented a number of new measures to increase the state's control over the Internet. Officials now have the ability to block almost any website extrajudicially, and large Internet companies will soon be required to store the personal data of Russian citizens on servers located inside Russia.

On July 14, 2015, President Vladimir Putin signed a law implementing “the right to be forgotten,” which allows Russians to demand that search engines remove links to certain content about past events in their lives, even without a court order.