Information technology and society: International “Strategic Forum” in Slovenia

9 to September 10, 2011 the town of Bled (Slovenia) hosted the International "Strategic Forum". This year's discussions were united by the slogan "The Power of the Future".

Russian Minister of Mass Communications Igor Shchegolev made a speech at the forum. He stressed that "it is important to objectively evaluate the impact of the Internet on social and political life of society, not only within one state, but the whole world".

The Internet has become one of the drivers of the modern society, it has led to new forms of communication, new technologies. Under the influence of a global network a new "network society" is forming, and, as noted Shchegolev, “the role of youth is quite significant in it", because it is not the age that values the Internet community but the knowledge and skills of a particular person. However, youth is the category of people most susceptible to threats that brings the Internet. "Online community that has been successfully and rapidly developing in the first place because of its information content, is threatened by this same information, or rather those who manipulate it, - said the Russian minister. - Among the key points of informational threats is the promotion of extremism and the problem of protection of personal data."

In these circumstances, the state must protect its citizens. "But in a world where the main resource is information, the specifics of government involvement is altered," - said Shchegolev. As he pointed out, "the state should not control the Internet, it must be a regulator and arbitrator."

He also drew attention to the need for joint efforts of the international community to combat crime in the global network.