Most Russians would support blocking Internet access, in case of an emergency, according to the latest poll conducted the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM). The new poll shows that 58 percent of Russians would support shutting down the Internet entirely.
The poll was based on a representative sample across 42 Russian regions. It shows that 48 percent of Russians would support such measures, if national security were at stake. Another 9 percent said Internet access could be blocked in the event of mass protests.
49 percent of those polled said they were in favor of Internet censorship. Among those who do not use the Internet, this number stood at 57 percent. 45 percent of Russians support filtering foreign news reports, and 46 percent said it is necessary to block social media groups dedicated to organizing anti-government protests. 45 percent also believe Pussy Riot videos should be banned.
On the other hand, the majority of those polled say they do not see the Internet as a threat to family values.
The study says 42 percent of the Russian population are Internet users. 38 percent of Russians do not use the Internet at all (they did not go online over the past six months or more). 20 percent of Russians use the Internet from time to time (a few times a week, over the past six months).
The study was conducted by VCIOM in collaboration with The Ohio State University, the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and the SecDev Foundation (an analytical foundation based out of Ottawa, Canada).