Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
However, there are reports of deep political rivalries between the technocrats and the Federal Security Service.
Moscow has long boasted about its slick urban technology. Commuters can pay for subway rides using facial recognition, enjoying speed and comfort that rival any Western capital.
Yet, behind the smooth surface lies a vast apparatus.
The Russian capital now operates roughly 300,000 security cameras, turning everyday transit into a relentless tracking network, according to a report by The New York Times.
That web expanded quickly after thousands of draft-age men fled the country in 2022. Today, authorities send mandatory military notices straight to a centralized government app.
The moment an electronic summons arrives, travel restrictions trigger automatically. Draft dodgers cannot risk taking the train anymore, because a single glance at a station camera can mean immediate arrest.
Spies versus software
Yet building a digital prison is not going as smoothly as Kremlin officials hoped. Deep political rivalries are stalling the project from within.
Technocrats love algorithm-driven control. But officers inside the Federal Security Service prefer traditional human intelligence, viewing artificial intelligence as a direct threat to their authority.
The New York Times cited an insider who revealed that security agents routinely clash with tech developers over how much power computers should hold.
Those clashes sometimes cause public chaos. In March, agents pulled the plug on mobile internet across central Moscow for over two weeks, crippling municipal systems over a sudden security panic.
Borrowed tech building walls
President Vladimir Putin insists that domestic artificial intelligence remains vital for national survival. Real progress, however, tells a far more complicated story.
Heavy Western sanctions cut off vital microchips, while thousands of skilled programmers packed up and left. To keep systems running, state tech monopolies now rely heavily on Chinese open-source software.
Officials are also working to lock down the local web ecosystem entirely. A sanctioned firm is currently building a mandatory Russian browser designed with state-approved encryption tools, United24 Media reported on September 8.
If certified, all public agencies must adopt the software within two years, cutting off foreign web platforms completely. Moscow wants full control of its digital sky.
