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Web keeps bent politicians honest, says Google boss

Bigs up Russia as next Silicon Valley

Google supremo Eric Schmidt reckons that the internet is making politics work better, telling business leaders at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APEC conference in Honolulu that the web keeps governments of the world honest.

Speaking on Saturday, Schmidt said that the ability of whistleblowers to report crimes, document atrocities and ramble around on social networks was revolutionising politics and globally holding the powerful to account.

“In nations and communities around the world, citizens are turning to online tools to keep their governments honest,” he said, adding that “whistleblowing has never been so easy".

"There are no caves online," he said.

Oh, and Russia will be the next Silicon valley, Schmidt reportedly added: he reckons Russia was posed to become a qualified labour and intellectual hub for international IT companies.

Russia is building a science park outside Moscow called the Skolkovo Innovation Centre Project, which is expected to hold approximately 30,000 people who will live and work there developing new space and telecom products and biotech and nuclear technologies. Skolkovo aims to attract tech start-ups and has already raked in funding from Microsoft.

Roll on Silicon Steppe. ®

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