In response to the war in Ukraine, Russia has turned to new surveillance technologies to monitor its citizens who oppose the war. Russian authorities have amassed a range of tools to track online activities, leading to the emergence of a thriving tech industry that specializes in digital surveillance. These technologies provide Russian law enforcement and the Federal Security Service (F.S.B.) with extensive capabilities for monitoring phone and internet usage. They allow for tracking activity on encrypted apps, monitoring phone locations, identifying anonymous social media users, and breaking into people’s accounts.
President Vladimir V. Putin is increasingly relying on technology to exert political control as Russia faces military setbacks in Ukraine, economic sanctions, and leadership challenges. Russia, once lagging behind authoritarian regimes like China and Iran in the use of modern technology for control, is now catching up. The surveillance tools have generated significant revenue for various Russian technology firms, many of which are owned by Citadel Group, a business previously partially controlled by Alisher Usmanov, one of Mr. Putin’s sanctioned “favorite oligarchs.” Some of these companies are expanding overseas, raising concerns that the surveillance technologies could spread beyond Russia’s borders.
The Russian technology firms, including MFI Soft, Vas Experts, and Protei, initially developed pieces of Russia’s telecom wiretapping system before advancing to more sophisticated surveillance tools for the intelligence services. The obtained documents reveal software that can identify voice calls and file transfers on encrypted chat apps like Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp. The software can also track multiple phones, map communication networks, determine phone locations, and collect passwords entered on unencrypted websites.
These surveillance technologies complement other Russian efforts to shape public opinion, stifle dissent, and collect data on citizens. The Russian government has launched propaganda campaigns on state media, increased internet censorship, and encouraged citizens to report social media posts undermining the war. The combination of these tools creates an off-the-shelf toolkit for autocrats seeking to control online activities. The technologies have broader implications beyond Russia and could potentially impact the surrounding region and the world.
Russia’s previous attempts to control the internet were imperfect, but the expansion of the System for Operative Investigative Activities (SORM) program has improved its surveillance capabilities. Citadel, which acquired major Russian digital wiretapping equipment manufacturers, now dominates 60 to 80 percent of the telecommunications monitoring technology market. The new technologies offer Russia’s security services a detailed view of the internet and include features like subscriber information tracking, phone location mapping, voice-to-text transcription for intercepted calls, and tools for identifying suspicious behavior.
Russian authorities have also found ways to track conversations on encrypted messaging apps using techniques such as deep-packet inspection, which can identify data flow without intercepting message content. This allows access to metadata, providing information about communication patterns, attachments, and other general details. The makers of encrypted apps like Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp have few defenses against this tracking, as the authorities capture data from internet service providers. While encryption can hide the specific messages shared, it cannot block the record of the communication.
These surveillance tools have already started to spread beyond Russia, with marketing efforts targeting Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America, and even Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp makers are concerned about the tracking capabilities but provide some features to make it harder to identify and follow their traffic. The existence of a digital exchange between suspicious individuals can trigger investigations or arrests in Russia.
Experts predict that Russian surveillance firms will eventually become rivals to the usual suppliers of surveillance tools. While China remains the leader in digital authoritarianism, Russia has been overhauling its internet regulations to align more closely with China’s model. Russia is poised to emerge as a competitor to Chinese companies in this space.
