Kremlin Internet plans could endanger free speech - watchdog

WARSAW (Reuters) - Russian proposals on protecting Internet users against threats from the West could be a Kremlin ploy to crack down on critical voices inside Russia, a representative of Europe's main rights and democracy watchdog said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the Internet as a "CIA special project," and Russia media last week quoted officials as saying they were looking at technical ways to shield the Russian web, if the need arises, from threats to national security.