CSTO to control social networking sites

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is going to establish control over social networking websites to prevent a repetition of the Tunisian and Egyptian unrest in its member countries.

Speaking to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, a CSTO source said such measure, involving the efforts of high-level experts, does not envisage censorship.

"In the present-day world, there is a subsystem that allows for destabilizing the situation in any country. Mobile connection and social networking sites can be used for that purpose, and upon necessity, non-governmental organizations may be involved [in such efforts]," the source said.

Speaking of cyber security, it stressed the importance of considering the factor of shadow internet, an issue raised by the US media back in June. It became clear then that the Department of State spends more than $50 million for the elaboration of what it called an alternative network which is designed for countries banning access to the internet in an attempt to prevent social media-perpetrated mass unrest.