Messaging services in Russia have been banned from disclosing any cooperation with law enforcement agencies, according to a new government decree issued last month.
The decree orders messengers to “ensure the non-disclosure of any information regarding specific facts and contents” when cooperating with the authorities, as reported by The Moscow Times.
The messengers are also required to provide remote access to their systems no later than three months after receiving a request from Russia’s secret service, the FSB.
Adopted in 2016, the new Russian legislation (dubbed ‘Yarovaya law’ or ‘Big Brother law’) requires messenger apps and other “organizers of information distribution” to add “additional coding” to transmitted electronic messages so that the FSB can decipher them.
In late 2017, the popular Telegram messaging app has been embroiled in a legal battle with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) over refusing to provide access to the online conversations of users, including suspected terrorists.
