Russia needs Chinese-style govt regulation, says official

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MOSCOW, Dec 14, (AFP): Russia needs Chinese-style government regulation of the Internet, a top official said Wednesday, after election protesters organised nationwide rallies through social networking sites. "We cannot ignore the use of the Internet by criminals and terrorist groups," Russia's Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview with Argumenty i Fakty newspaper. "Of course there should be reasonable regulation in Russia, just as it is done in the United States, China and many other countries."The Internet has become a vital resource in Russia to coordinate protests, including a rally that drew tens of thousands of people at the weekend disputing parliamentary polls won by Vladimir Putin's ruling party. Russia in September became the European country with the largest number of Internet users, according to Comscore ratings agency, and the use of blogs and social networking sites has boomed in recent years. Rights activist Lev Ponomaryov linked Patrushev's proposal to the protests and warned that a crackdown on the Internet would only provoke more public anger ahead of a new mass opposition rally planned this month. Meanwhile: A leading ally of Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he was quitting his post as Russian parliament speaker, after polls that saw the ruling party lose support and face protests against vote-rigging. "I have decided to renounce my mandate as a member of parliament... It would be wrong to occupy the post of speaker for more than two terms," said Boris Gryzlov, who is also chairman of the ruling United Russia party.