Programme

The tightening of government control over information flows on the global network has become one of the most visible trends in regulatory activity around the world. An increasing number of governments are working to establish internet censorship that is suitable for specific regions. Restrictions also affect other areas, ranging from businesses, where companies are often over-regulated, to global cybersecurity issues. What are the development prospects for Internet regulation? What are the global practices of Internet censorship and what is their impact on the values of freedom of speech and economic relations between countries? What is the regulatory experience in Russia? What does the future of the Internet hold given the increasing use of information as a tool for confrontation within the global community? How can we fight misinformation on the net and its impact on society and the economy?

Moderator
Petr Lidov-Petrovskiy, Director of Communications and Public Relations, International Information Agency "Rossiya Segodnya"

Petr Lidov-Petrovskiy

Director of Communications and Public Relations, International Information Agency "Rossiya Segodnya"

Petr Lidov-Petrovsky, Director for Communications and Public Relations of Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency. He graduated from the Department of International Economic Relations of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). For 13 years, he worked in representative offices of Philip Morris International in Russia, Switzerland, Indonesia, China, and Pakistan. Upon his return to Russia, he joined OOO En+ Management (the Basic Element Group) as Director of Public Relations. From 2009 to 2017, he held the office of Director of Public Relations in OAO MegaFon. Starting from November 2017, Mr Lidov-Petrovsky is Director of Communications and Public Relations of Rossiya Sevodnya International News Agency.

Panellists
Igor Ashmanov, General Director, Kribrum; Managing Partner, Ashmanov and Partners
Maria Zakharova, Director, Department of the Information and Press, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Leonid Levin, Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications
Guy Mettan, Executive Director, Swiss Press Club; President, Chamber of Commerce Switzerland - Russia and CIS
Sergei Plugotarenko, Director, Russian Association for Electronic Communications (RAEC)
Aleksey Pushkov, Chairman, Interim Commission on Information Policy and Cooperation with the Media, Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Seyyed Zia Hashemi, Managing Director, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)
Fedor Scherbakov, General Director, 1st MediaInvest Media Holding

Igor Ashmanov

General Director, Kribrum; Managing Partner, Ashmanov and Partners

Born on 9 January 1962. Graduated from Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics at Moscow State University with PhD in technical sciences.
Among dozens of products released under his management are Spamtest spam filter (later rebranded as Kaspersky Antispam), ORFO multifunctional spelling checking system (used in Microsoft Office), and a large collection of Medialingua e-dictionaries.
Since 1999, chief research and development officer, then CEO at Rambler. Directed development and release of Rambler’s search engine and most of the services by the company (until their update in 2012).
Since 2001, managing partner (and CEO – till 2015) at Ashmanov and Partners. The company provides integrated Internet marketing services, develops various search and advertising technologies and services.
Igor Ashmanov founded and co-founded startups that make a heavy use of big data technologies, applied linguistics, artificial intelligence, and robotics.
In 2005, he founded Nanosemantics, a company that develops technologies and services based on direct man-machine verbal interaction. In 2010, he founded Metahouse, a startup that develops vertical search engines that involve collecting, storing, and analyzing big data. In 2010, he co-founded Kribrum, a company that provides online service for reputation management and information security.
In 2011, he founded RIWW, a startup that creates mobile apps searching in the content of other mobile apps. In 2012, he founded A&P Media, a company that develops mobile apps based on game mechanics. In 2012, he co-founded Wicron, an applied robotics company that is currently working on a low-budget 3D printer made entirely in Russia, remotely controlled robots, and robots that maintain interaction with users using natural language.
Igor Ashmanov is active participant in multiple government working groups: a Presidential Executive Office based working group on digital economy (“Internet + society” and “Internet + sovereignty” subgroups, led by Igor Schyogolev), a State Duma based Digital Economy Council (led by Vyacheslav Volodin), and the Ministry of Communications based working group on digital economy (“Information security” subgroup).
He is also Skolkovo Foundation expert and lecturer at the Military Academy of Strategic Missile Troops and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, where he delivers lectures on big data, social networks, and information warfare.
Awards: “Man of the year” award in ROTOR contests in 2004 and 2006. Listed by Forbes Russia among TOP30 most influential people on Russian Internet.

Maria Zakharova

Director, Department of the Information and Press, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

1998: Graduated from the International Information Faculty at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations under the Russian Foreign Ministry, specialising in international journalism. Speaks English and Chinese. Holds the diplomatic rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Second Class.
After graduation, Ms Zakharova started working at the Russian Foreign Ministry. Worked as the editor of the Diplomatic Bulletin monthly publication.
Also served as head of the department for media monitoring at the Information and Press Department.
2005–2008: Head of the Press Service of Russia’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York City.
2008−2011: Held various positions in the ministry’s central office.
2011-2015 Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2015-present time Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian MFA.
PhD in History.
Member of the Russian Council on Foreign and Defence Policy.

Leonid Levin

Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications

Born 2 September 1974.
Graduated from the Mikhail Shchepkin Higher Theatre School in Moscow.
Worked for the Council of New Politics (New Policy), a non-profit organization (NPO) in Moscow.
Began to assume deputyships on 4 December 2011.
Chairman, Committee for Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications, from 26 September 2014.
Member, Governmental commission for the digital development and the use of information technologies to improve quality of life and conditions of doing business.
Deputy Commission Chairman, Council of Legislators of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation for Information Policy, Information Technology, and Investment.
Deputy Chairman, Council for legislative support for the development of the digital economy under the Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Member of parliamentary groups for parliamentary relations with various countries.
Chairman of the Board, Regional Public Center of Internet Technologies (ROCIT)
Chairman, Council of the Institute of Internet Development (IRI).
Expert, Central Staff, All-Russia People’s Front (ONF).
Secretary, Russian Union of Journalists.
Member, Public Council for the publication of the Orthodox Encyclopaedia.

Guy Mettan

Executive Director, Swiss Press Club; President, Chamber of Commerce Switzerland - Russia and CIS

Guy Mettan is journalist, artist and Swiss politician, member of PDC. He was a director and editor-in-chief of Tribune de Genève in 1992. In 1996, Guy Mettan created "Business Club Romand" in Zurich. In 1998 Mr. Mettan presided "le Fondation EMA" whose goal is to provide South countries with a better access to capitals, technologies and international markets and "Association ASEMA". In the same year, Tribune de Genève being purchased by the Edipresse group, Guy Mettan left his post. He started a career of a politician and gets the post of city counselman of Geneva in 1999. In 2001 Mr. Mettan was appointed vice-presedent of the Swiss-West Africa Chamber of Commerce, and in 2005 of the Swiss-Russian Joint Chambers of Commerce (JCC), and president of the Geneva Red Cross in 2006. Also Guy Mettan is the President of the Grand Conseil of the Geneva canton and president of the Swiss Press Club, of which he is a charter member. Honorary member (Membre d’Honneur) of the Centre russe d’etudes politiques.

Sergei Plugotarenko

Director, Russian Association for Electronic Communications (RAEC)

Mr. Plugotarenko graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), Department of Physical and Quantum Electronics (1993–1996) and Department of Control and Applied Mathematics (1996–1999), certified as Physical Engineer specializing in Applied Mathematics and Physics.From 2002, he was leading ICT specialist at the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE UNESCO – http://ru.iite.unesco.org).In 2004–2006, he was executive director and, from 2007, director of the Runet Awards competition. Since 2005, he has served as coordinator of programme committees for some high-profile sectoral conference events, including the Russian Internet Forum (RIF), Russian Interactive Week (RIW) and others.In 2005–2007, he served as deputy executive director of the Regional Non-government Centre for Internet Technologies (ROCIT – www.rocit.ru) – the oldest NGO engaged in expert evaluation, promotion and development of the ICT segment in the Russian Federation, upholding the interests of Internet users. In 2007, he was elected executive director of ROCIT.From 2005 he was ideologue and founder of the Russian Association for Electronic Communications (NP RAEC – www.raec.ru), promoting the interests of Russian Internet players. From 2006, he was deputy general manager of NP RAEC.In 2011–2013, Mr. Plugotarenko was member of the Council of Coordination Centre for National Top Level Domains RU/RF – www.cttld.ru. Since 2010, he has been director of The Russian Association for Electronic Communications (NP RAEC).

Aleksey Pushkov

Chairman, Interim Commission on Information Policy and Cooperation with the Media, Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

Born on August 10, 1954.
Chairman of the Commission on Information and Media, Council of Federation, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Author & Anchor, Postscriptum (TV Center, Russian TV Channel 3)
1976 - Graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
1979 - Ph.D. in History of International Relations.
1979 - 1980 – Russian delegation, UN Conference on Disarmament, Geneva.
1988 - 1991 - Foreign Policy Adviser and Speech-writer to General Secretary Michael Gorbachev, International department, Central Committee.
1995 - 1998 – Deputy Director-General, Foreign, Public and Media Relations; Russian TV Channel 1.
Since April 1998 – Author, Anchor and Executive Producer, «Postscriptum» TV-CENTER (Russian TV Channel 3)
2004 – 2016 – Member of the Presidential Council on Human Rights and Civil Society, Moscow
2008 – 2011 - Director, Institute of Contemporary International Problems, Diplomatic Academy, Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation
2011-2016 – Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma. State Duma deputy from the Perm region.
Published more than 400 papers and analytical articles on Foreign policy.
Decorations: Order of Honor, Order of Friendship.

Seyyed Zia Hashemi

Managing Director, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)

Some of his positions and professional backgrounds: IRNA Managing Director (since 31 December 2017); Acting minister of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (20 August 2017 -29 October 2017); Member of the Supervisory Board of the Press; Deputy Minister of Culture and Society of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology; Deputy Minister of Science, Research and Technology for cultural and social affairs; Head of the Institute of Social Studies and Research of Tehran University; Head of the Center for Youth Social and Economic Studies at the University of Tehran; Deputy cultural director of Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research; Member of the Research Council of the Tehran University; Representative of the Ministry of Science at the High Council of Youth; Member of the Social Council of the country; Member of the Council of General Culture of the country.
Some of his works: Review of Social Sciences Books in Iran (2015), Social sciences in Iran and its future (2013), Consumption pattern analysis in Iran (2012), Social changes in Nahj al-Balaghah (2001), and more than 30 essays and articles about National identity, youth, education, political participation, women, social changes and religiousus belief and employment.
Education: 2004 - Ph.D. in Sociology; 1996 - M.A in Sociology; 1994 - B.A in Social Sciences; 1988 - Diploma in mathematics and physics.

Fedor Scherbakov

General Director, 1st MediaInvest Media Holding

General Director 1st MediaInvest Holding
Previously:
Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, JSC Northern Caucasus Resorts
General Director of ANO "Sport of Higher Achievements" of the Olympic Committee of the Russian Federation
Deputy Head of Administration of the Volgograd Region
Director of the Development Department of JSC Stroytransgaz
Advisor to the President of the State Corporation “Olympstroy” on interaction with the Government of the Russian Federation
Deputy Minister of Regional Development of the Russian Federation
Deputy Director of the Department for Domestic Politics of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President the SFD - a spokesman
Assistant to the Head of the Government of the Russian Federation