The News Minute | August 9, 2014 | 07:29 pm IST

Moscow: The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia will keep tabs on social media users under a new law that allows the secret service agency to access users’ personal information, media reports said on Saturday.

The new law came into effect Aug 1 and requires all social network platforms in Russia to install hardware and software to allow them to share information with FSB, Russia TV reported, adding that it imposes certain restrictions on popular bloggers.

All blogs having 3,000 daily readers or more will have to register with the state watchdog Roskomnadzor, disclose their real identity and follow the same rules as journalists working in conventional state-registered mass media.

Restrictions include a requirement to verify information before publishing it and abstaining from releasing reports containing slander, hate speech, extremist calls or other banned information such as, for example, advice on suicide, the report said.

Many social media users have equated the law to the US National Security Agency spying on its own citizens.

With IANS