Half of Russians never used the Internet

The Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge at the Higher School of Economics has estimated that 21 percent of the Russian population use the Internet, which represents a threefold increase from 2003. However, the number of active users has grown on a more moderate scale. They currently represent 13 percent of the population versus 9 percent in 2003. At the same time, 57 percent of Russians say they have no use for the Internet, while 2 percent have expressed hostility toward the web. The reasons behind such indifference are rather banal: some think the web is cluttered with spam and pornography, while for others it is impossible to get connected. There is also a shortage of practically useful services.