When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

You've reach your limit of free articles.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime.

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Ad-free experience NEW

Exclusive international news coverage

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Monthly Access

30-day free trial, then $2.90 per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
Russia

Yes, The Russians Have NSA-Style Internet Spying Too

And it's about to get worse in the country that has granted temporary asylum to Edward Snowden.

Who you gonna call?
Who you gonna call?
Vladislav Novii, Elena Chernenko and Roman Rozhkov

MOSCOW — Who says the NSA is the only one spying on its citizens? The FSB, the Russian successor to the Soviet KGB, already has access to all online traffic that passes through the nation’s Internet service providers. And now, the spy agency may soon begin to implement a controversial directive issued by the Ministry of Communications that would require Internet providers to record and save all digital traffic for at least 12 hours, and give the FSB direct access to the database of those records.

The information that would be recorded includes telephone numbers, IP addresses, the names of users, and email addresses of social network users. Digital network operators say that the project violates the Russian constitution, because it allows for the collection of data without a court decision.

(The collection of data of citizens is of particular interest in Russia after President Vladimir Putin granted temporary asylum to Edward Snowden, the former consultant for the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) )

In a letter to the Ministry of Communication, one of Russia’s Internet providers specified that “the directive violates rights guaranteed in the Russian constitution,” which protects the right to privacy, specifying that each person has the right to private correspondence in their letters, telephone conversations and other types of direct communication. Recording, using or disseminating the information in that correspondence without the consent of the parties is not allowed.

The letter also says the new requirements violate Russia’s current laws regulating Internet service providers, because the law does not establish a requirement for operators to purchase and use specialized technology for investigative purposes.

The directive in question, which which was first put forward last spring, still has to be approved and registered by the Ministry of Justice, though that is not expected to be a problem. It is expected to take effect at the beginning of 2014.

Google Talk and Skype locations

Under the new regulations, Internet providers would be required to attach special equipment to their networks that the Secret Services would be able to control. Internet traffic would flow through the special device, allowing the FSB to record all data that goes through it and store it for at least 12 hours. In addition to the data mentioned above, the Internet service providers would be expected to provide the physical location for people using Internet telephone services like Google Talk and Skype.

According to Yuli Tai, a partner at the Bartolius law firm, the directive not only violates the Russian constitution, but also many laws involving the criminal code and privacy. “It is already enough that law enforcement agencies have the legal and technological ability to access Internet users’ information,” Tai says. “The unlimited expansion of those abilities leads to a violation of the rights of both ordinary citizens and the subjects of investigations.”

It is also not clear who will pay for the materials and construction of a system to record so much digital traffic. By law, these costs have to be assumed by the government agency, not the service providers. If the government does not specify the source of financing for the project, it will be impossible for Internet service providers to comply with the directive by the July 1 deadline.

According to a Russian government source, Internet service providers have traditionally been expected to pay for the investigative equipment and set-ups, even though by law the government should be responsible for the costs. Some estimates put the price tag at around $100 million per year, though others say it is far less. Our source in the government acknowledges that it could be a prohibitive cost for some small companies. For example, in the United States the government compensates technology companies for expenses related to digital “wiretapping.”

Russia has had a law in place since 2008 that allows the FSB to access all Internet traffic. According to the security director at one Russian Internet company, the new directive will not actually lead to more information being sent to the security services. The main difference, he said, was that now Internet providers are required to store the data for 12 hours, whereas previously they were just expected to transmit everything directly to the FSB.

The Ministry of Communication’s press office said that questions about the law’s financing are premature. The FSB and the Ministry of Finance could not be reached for comment.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Society

Who Is Responsible For The Internet's Harm To Society?

A school in the US is suing social media giants for damage done to children's well-being. But fining tech giants is a feeble response to their attacks on society's welfare.

a young boy looking at a smartphone

Are parents, website owners or government oversight bodies for to blame for the damage done to children and young adults?

Mónica Graiewski

BUENOS AIRES - In January 2023, schools in Seattle in the United States took court action against the websites TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat, seeking damages for losses incurred from the psychological harm done to their pupils.

They maintained that behavioral anomalies such as anxiety, depression and eating disorders were impeding pupils' education and had forced schools to hire mental health experts, develop special educational plans and provide extra training for teachers.

Here in Argentina just days after that report, two teenagers died from taking part in the so-called "blackout challenge" on TikTok.

Keep reading...Show less

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

You've reach your limit of free articles.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime.

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Ad-free experience NEW

Exclusive international news coverage

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Monthly Access

30-day free trial, then $2.90 per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch

The latest