Russian Firms Push Surveillance Tech In Central Asia

According to an investigative report published by the New York Times , Russian technology companies are developing new tools to help the Kremlin use the Internet and increase its control over domestic dissidents . Russian companies that developed these tools at home are now trying to export them to the countries of Central Asia and other regions.

In 2018 , Russia's efforts to stifle free news and opinion on the social networking site Telegram revealed serious shortcomings in the Russian government's ability to suppress dissent. The development of this new Internet traffic monitoring system allows Russia to close this gap with the Kremlin and has helped Russia overtake China and Iran in controlling the minds and actions of the population. The war in Ukraine catalyzed a qualitative leap in the development of the Russian surveillance state, with a growing need for the Kremlin to moderate anti-war sentiment and independent views. In the weeks and months after Yevgeny Prigozhin's failed uprising , this impulse will be even stronger .

The Times investigation is based on leaked documents detailing technology companies, including conglomerates MFI Soft, Vas Experts, Protel and Citadel Group , which were hit by US sanctions in February . A US State Department press release states that Citadel is engaged in business activities related to "Russian domestic and foreign intelligence gathering, monitoring and suppression of dissent."

According to the documents, the new technology can detect when people are texting or talking over encrypted channels such as Signal, WhatsApp and Telegram. The new technology can also intercept passwords from unencrypted platforms and allow authorities to use cellphones to track users' movements.

While the new tool prevents authorities from reading the exact contents of encrypted emails, it increases the ability to identify those using the device. This makes it easier for security forces to find individuals for better surveillance.

Representatives of Telegram and the Signal Foundation, developers of software for encrypted communication, admit that it is impossible to avoid new spyware. However, Telegram or Signal functions can be used to send messages from different servers, making it difficult to determine the source and destination of the data.

Marketing materials obtained by the Times from the leak show that Russian spyware makers are trying to export their new tools. Documents show that Central Asia is an important sales market.

Citing Eurasianet.org

"Bloomberg Surveillance Simulcast" (6/27/23)