Threats to the Open Net: April 8, 2011

Every week, the OpenNet Initiative provides a weekly news roundup (dubbed "Threats to the Open Net") in addition to our usual in-depth blog posts. If you would like to subscribe to the RSS feed for the entire blog or the weekly threats update, you may do so; you are also free to use the feed on your own site, with attribution to the OpenNet Initiative.

* Next-generation Internet controls are rising in Russia with the introduction of volunteer online content police and an increase in paid pro-government commentators dubbed the "30 Ruble Army." LiveJournal has sustained massive DDoS attacks suspected to be the government's handiwork, while a new request for tender invites Russians to submit proposals for a surveillance system that will constantly monitor the Russian web for "illegal keywords." Meanwhile, the head of Information and Special Communications Protection Center of Russia's Federal Security Service has called for an all-out ban on Gmail, Hotmail, and Skype.

* India's Department of Information Technology released a list of websites blocked by the Indian government this week. The list includes several independent media sites.

* The German government has abandoned plans to filter child pornography, opting to delete offensive sites instead.