Mass surveillance in Russia

[2] The advertised features of Semantic Archive are:[3][4] It is used by the Federal Security Service (FSB) and Ministry of the Interior (MVD) to monitor open sources and the Internet, including the blogosphere and social networks.

[5] Russia's System of Operational-Investigatory Measures (SORM) requires telecommunications operators to install hardware provided by the Federal Security Service (FSB) which allows the agency to monitor users' communications metadata and content, including phone calls, email traffic, and web browsing activity.

[7] In 2014, the system was expanded to include social media platforms, and the Ministry of Communications ordered companies to install new equipment with deep packet inspection (DPI) capability.

[9] Within the framework of the practical use of the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, it has made it possible to identify and solve grave and especially grave crimes, the system is also operated by other state services and departments; In response to the threats posed by Islamic insurgents as well as its proximity to the Georgian territory, the Russian government used comprehensive screening practices during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

All communication and Internet traffic by Sochi residents is now captured and filtered through deep packet inspection systems at all mobile networks using the SORM 3 technology, described as "giant vacuum cleaner which scoops all electronic transmissions from all users all the time".

[11] Roskomnadzor, a federal executive body responsible for media control, reported that several local ISPs were fined by the government after they failed to install FSB-recommended SORM devices.

Organizations that provide platforms for their work such as search engines, social networks, and other forums must maintain computer records on Russian soil of everything posted over the previous six months.