Kenneth Glad
A new regulatory proposal could reshape how communications providers handle customer information and interact with government oversight requirements. The changes are part of a broader review of rules governing the telecommunications sector.
The Kremlin is preparing new rules that would widen security agencies’ access to user data held by telecom operators.
The proposal focuses on SORM, the state surveillance system that links communications providers with Russian investigative agencies.
For ordinary users, it could make identity, financial, technical and location data easier for authorities to search in one place.
According to Meduza, citing a draft order highlighted by Kommersant, Russia’s Digital Development Ministry wants telecom operators to store and share more detailed customer information through SORM.
Wider data reach
The draft covers several categories of information, including passport and address records, tax identification numbers, banking details, IP and domain data, usernames, geolocation coordinates and organization-linked information.
SORM has long been one of the main tools used by Russian security services to monitor communications through telecom firms and internet providers.
Kommersant quoted Igor Bederov, investigations director at T.Hunter, as saying earlier rules were “far more general in scope.”
“The state is closing the technological gaps that have emerged in recent years and making the data collection system not just comprehensive, but intelligent,” he said.
VPN concerns
Onet writes that Roskomnadzor has fined 85 telecom operators for failing to provide subscriber IP address data.
Russian officials have said collecting such data is necessary to counter cyberattacks, including DDoS attacks.
But a source said that IP information can also indicate whether a person is using a VPN.
That makes the issue politically sensitive, because many Russians use VPNs to reach blocked websites, independent news outlets and platforms restricted by state filters.
Smaller operators
Meduza furthermore reported that the ministry has discussed stricter licensing rules for telecom companies, with proposed license costs ranging from one million to 50 million rubles.
For smaller providers, higher fees and tougher compliance checks could become a serious burden.
Experts cited in Russian media warned that the changes could reduce the number of small communications firms, weaken competition and raise prices for home internet and pay television.
RBC reported that officials are also considering lifting the moratorium on scheduled inspections of telecom operators, partly to verify whether SORM equipment has been installed.
Together, the proposals point to a system in which Russian authorities are expanding both the amount of user data available to them and the pressure on companies required to provide it.
Sources: Meduza, Kommersant, Onet, RBC.
