Explainer 162: Why does Russia want a sovereign internet?

Russia has been no friend to the internet in recent years. First it introduced a swathe of tough online restrictions and now it wants to create a “sovereign internet”. Under this plan, the country’s internet service could operate independently from the rest of the world. The so-called digital sovereignty bill was given approval by the upper house of the Russian parliament earlier this week and will now go to president Vladimir Putin to sign into law. The government says it will reduce Russia’s reliance on internet servers based in the US but critics say it will only serve to increase censorship and stifle dissent. Monocle’s Alexei Korolyov reports.