On Thursday, 10 March, the Saeima in the second and final reading supported the urgent amendments to the Electronic Communications Law, authorising the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) to restrict access to websites available in the territory of Latvia disseminating content that threatens or may endanger national security or public order and security.

The amendments are designed to enable the relevant state institutions to react and take action in cases where online content is disseminated, which may harm the national and security interests of the state, says the explanatory note to the draft law.

"Taking into account the current geopolitical situation, there is a need for regulation that would allow to quickly clean up Latvia’s information space from content that threatens national security and public order by distorting facts about events in Latvia and worldwide. We must protect our information space from disinformation, including Kremlin propaganda," said Krišjānis Feldmans, Chair of the Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee responsible for the progress of the draft law in the Saeima.

The law provides that the NEPLP will adopt a decision to restrict access by assessing the information provided by the relevant public authorities. Based on the decision of the NEPLP, access to the website will be restricted by the owner of the ‘.lv’ top-level domain registry and the electronic communications service provider. It will be restricted by denying access to the domain name or the Internet Protocol (IP) address of these website.

If the electronic communications service provider, after receipt of the NEPLP decision, has not ensured restriction of access within the specified time period, the decision may be enforced without additional written warning regarding the enforcement of the administrative act.

In Latvia, access has been restricted to gambling websites, websites facilitating unregistered economic activities, services, etc., as well as websites containing false, distorted, biased content and disinformation.

The law will enter into force on the day following its promulgation.

Saeima Press Service