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MOSCOW, April 22 (UPI) -- Pavel Durov, founder of VKontakte, claims that he has been removed from his position and the Russian government has taken control of the website.

VKontakte is the Russian version of Facebook and is the country's most popular social media website. Durov said Monday that he has been fired from his position, and that the social media platform is now under the control of two close allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Today, VKontakte goes under the complete control of Igor Sechin and Alisher Usmanov," wrote Durov on his page. "Probably, in the Russian context, something like this was inevitable, but I'm happy we lasted seven and a half years ... we did a lot. And part of what's been done can't be turned back."

Usmanov is a medals tycoon who has launched his own tech business and until recently owned a 10 percent share in Facebook. Sechin, one of Putin's closest advisers, is the leader of a military group made up of former KGB agents that back Putin, and is the CEO of the state-owned oil company.

Durov has previously been asked to shut down pages related to Putin opposition leader Alexey Navalny. He says he has refused all such requests. Durov found out about his dismissal by the VKontakte board through news reports. The board is citing the reason for his dismissal is his failure to formally withdraw his letter of resignation by the appropriate deadline.

VKontakte is used by more than 100 million users in Russia and Europe.

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VKontakte founder: Social media site under Kremlin control

VKontakte founder and CEO Pavel Durov says he was fired over his resistance to Moscow's efforts to monitor and control access to the popular social media platform.

Russia's version of Mark Zuckerberg,VKontaktefounder and CEO Pavel Durov, is out of a job.

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After what he describes as a long, under-the-carpet battle with Kremlin-linked forces who tried to force him to turn over user data to Russian secret services, Mr. Durov posted on his personal VKontakte pageMonday that he found out from the media that he was fired, and criticized shareholders for not having the "courage" to do it to his face. He added that "complete control" of the mainly Russian-language, Facebook-like social media site is now in the hands of Igor Sechin,the head of the Kremlin-owned oil company Rosneft, and Russia's richest man, metals tycoon Alisher Usmanov.

VKontakte claims to have more than 100 million registered users, primarily in the former Soviet Union, which would make it Europe's biggest social media network.

"Something like this was probably inevitable in Russia, but I am glad that we held out for 7-1/2 years," Durov said. "We accomplished a lot. And some of what we've managed to do cannot be undone."

It's been a long and murky saga.

Durov is a flamboyant and sometimes controversial figure who once threw paper airplanes made of 5,000 ruble notes (about $160) from his office window to see how people in the street would react (it reportedly created pandemonium). About a year ago he was accused in a bizarre hit-and-run incident, in which he allegedly ran over a policeman's foot. He denied it, insisting that he does not even drive a car. While he was under investigation, his partners reportedly sold 48 percent of the company to an investment fund run by a senior executive in the Kremlin oil company Rosneft.

Scrolling down Durov's VKontakte page reveals the milestones of what he says has been his struggle to protect the data of his users.

The rest is here:
Did the Kremlin just 'unfriend' the founder of Russia's Facebook?

SINGAPORE: The Media Development Authority (MDA) is proposing that Internet Service Providers offer subscribers basic parental control tools for free with the subscription or renewal of Internet access packages.

It is seeking public feedback on its recommendations to better help parents monitor their children's Internet usage.

Public consultations end on May 9.

These enhancements aim to raise the awareness of parental control tools offered by local Internet Access Service Providers (IASPs) and make it easier for parents to subscribe to these services.

Free tools for parents to screen content their children view online should include filtering services to allow parents to specify the types of content they do not want their children to see, but the service providers can choose to offer premium functionalities at an additional cost.

This may become a reality if recommendations by the MDA are well-received by the public.

MDAs chief executive officer, Koh Lin-net, said: "We recognise that the Internet offers many opportunities for everyone, but at the same time, there are some pitfalls to also watch out for.

"In particular, we know today that young children, as young as three or four years old, are already accessing the Internet, and we wanted to make sure that parents are aware that parental control solutions are out there so that they can make decisions as to what they want their children to see or not to see."

Service providers can also play a greater role.

Currently, they need to inform and offer parental control services to subscribers when they sign up for or renew their residential broadband and mobile internet packages.

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MDA seeks public feedback on Internet parental controls

The Crossing 48th St Media Control Room
Here is the monitors of the Media Control Room #39;s video switcher at The Crossing, 48th St. campus. This is the 2014 Easter Weekend service.

By: GcDmStudent

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The Crossing 48th St Media Control Room - Video

Despite Russia's attempts to control the Internet and manipulate opinion, especially over events in Ukraine, the truth seeps out. Social-media activists help ensure the free flow of ideas and facts.

The lie couldnt last for long, not in the Internet Age.

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On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin admitted for the first time that the troops in unmarked uniforms who took control of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula last month were Russian soldiers after all, not the local militia that he had claimed.

What made Mr. Putin fess up?

Perhaps it was the fact that many Russians are bypassing the Kremlin propaganda machine and turning to social media activists for the truth. One example is the Ukraine Crisis Media Center. It runs a fact-checking website called StopFake.org, which relies on dozens of volunteers to gather information that can refute the distortions and propaganda about Russias actions in Ukraine.

In the continuing struggle over Ukraine, the use of the Internet to spread the truth remains a powerful tool to counter Putins attempts to paint a false picture of events. It may even have helped push Russia into an agreement at talks Thursday in Geneva that calls for all illegal armed groups in Ukraine to be disarmed.

Nearly two-thirds of Russians say it is important that people have access to the Internet without government censorship, according to a 2013 Pew poll. Among young adults, this embrace of Web freedom is even stronger. But over the past two years, Putin has sought to rein in the Internet and other media in order to manipulate public opinion.

In January, investors close to Putin took control of the largest social media network, VKontakte. And a law that took effect Feb. 1 allows websites to be blocked if they are seen as extremist or inciting antigovernment protests. More than 100 sites have been shut down so far in an attempt to stifle political opposition.

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An Internet army of truth-tellers