Russia To Adopt Rules That Enable Them To Decrypt Code

The Russian Federal Security Service and the Ministry of Communications is getting more involved in the internet business game, with Forbes reporting the two agencies in Russia will adopt rules that enable them to decrypt code by internet service providers and search engines.

Citing a report by Kommersant, Forbes said unnamed experts told the paper the new rules would enable Russia to stop potential computer threats and enable the Federal Security Service to investigate terrorist activities and online hacker gangs without facing a roadblock due to encryption technologies.

While it’s seen as a way to protect consumers, the report noted it also gives Russia a gateway to build its own “Big Brother” department that could profile user behavior online in Russia, helping law enforcement create psychological profiles and “taste preferences” of people the government is tracking. Google, Yandex, Mail.ru Group, WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, Facebook and VKontakte, among others, will be required by July 20 to give the Russian agencies their encryption keys. If the foreign companies don’t comply with the rules after a lot of demand, they could face fines, the report noted.

The agencies in Russia contend that, without the ability to decrypt, law enforcement can’t always figure out where the hackers are from and where the users of hacking groups are located. The report noted U.S. law enforcement tried to do something similar with the Apple iPhone when the terrorist attack happened in San Bernardino. Yandex, which is based in Russia, is expected to be more likely to comply than take on the Russian government like Apple did. Apple fought for users’ privacy in that case.