1. Prosecuting privacy
According to the latest media reports, the parliament will mull a draft law that would make online anonymity a thing of the past.
According to digit.ru and the Izvestia newspaper, the legislators want to ban the Tor network that ensures privacy and security for Internet users.
One of the supporters of the bill is United Russia’s Robert Shlegel, who said they would keep a certain extent of anonymity by allowing people to register under nicknames.
The move has encountered fierce opposition from the blogging community and the Russian Pirate Party, saying the bill would destroy the concept of Internet freedom altogether.
2. Backing the borrowers
MPs are set to introduce a cooling-off period into legislation to help debtors make early payments without any fines from banks.
Anatoly Aksakov, deputy chairman of the State Duma committee on financial markets, wants to allow borrowers pay off small sums within 10 days and large sums within 30 days.
Lending institutions often have special restrictive clauses in their contracts for early repayments.
Unlike the laws in some of the EU countries, Russians would still have to pay the interest rate for the actual time they had the credit funds on their hands.
The banks have voiced their opposition to the bill saying it will put more pressure on them in terms of paperwork, warning that they would have to increase the interest rates.
3. Face-to-face with the grassroots
The parliament will also consider a bill that would make high-ranking regional officials receive citizens in person for at least 10 hours a month.
In some regions, the local heads almost never meet with the population, MPs say.
This ill practice helps to fuel distrust towards the authorities, they add.
Author: Mikhail Vesely