Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt says he is wary that Russia is on path of Internet filtering similar to China. November 22, 2013 10:42 AM PST Google Chairman Eric Schmidt earlier this year at All Things D's mobile conference in New York. (Credit: CNET/Marguerite Reardon) NEW YORK--Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt is worried Russia's Internet filtering could turn it into the next China, though Chinese censorship and rights restrictions can't last forever as the country and technology grows there, he said Friday. Russia last year passed legislation to blacklist Web sites, and the government has been accused of using the law to block information it deems unfit for the population, in addition to illegal content like child pornography. Related stories Google Play warms up to tablet-friendly apps Google's insanely playful, Dalektable Doctor Who doodle Chromecast jumps on HBO Go's dragon bandwagon Google building Spark, a Web-based development tool Avengers Alliance assembles on Android "We're worried Russia is on a path" of filtering and censorship that China is known for, he said. But he predicted technology would assist revolution in China in the next ten years. In China, there are 600 million users of the Internet, and 400 million smartphones being sold there this year, with networks like Weiwo enormously popular there, he said. In the next decade, something will make that community move toward a consensus of wanting more rights, and it will move in a way the government can't fix or control, he said. "There are just too many Chinese people to put in jail," he said. Schmidt was speaking at the Paley Center International Council Summit. He spoke with Swedish journalist Pelle Törnberg about subjects in his book, "The New Digital Age."
Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt says he is wary that Russia is on path of Internet filtering similar to China.
Google Chairman Eric Schmidt earlier this year at All Things D's mobile conference in New York.
(Credit: CNET/Marguerite Reardon)
NEW YORK--Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt is worried Russia's Internet filtering could turn it into the next China, though Chinese censorship and rights restrictions can't last forever as the country and technology grows there, he said Friday.
Russia last year passed legislation to blacklist Web sites, and the government has been accused of using the law to block information it deems unfit for the population, in addition to illegal content like child pornography.
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"We're worried Russia is on a path" of filtering and censorship that China is known for, he said.
But he predicted technology would assist revolution in China in the next ten years.
In China, there are 600 million users of the Internet, and 400 million smartphones being sold there this year, with networks like Weiwo enormously popular there, he said. In the next decade, something will make that community move toward a consensus of wanting more rights, and it will move in a way the government can't fix or control, he said.
"There are just too many Chinese people to put in jail," he said.
Schmidt was speaking at the Paley Center International Council Summit. He spoke with Swedish journalist Pelle Törnberg about subjects in his book, "The New Digital Age."
