Hello! This week we bring you our investigation into how Russia’s attempts at total digital surveillance fell short — and why the state is now scrambling to respond.
The security services’ ability to surveil Russian citizens is less comprehensive than previously believed, The Bell has discovered. The notorious mid-2010s Yarovaya law, which gave the FSB the authority and capabilities for total surveillance of conversations and correspondence, has yet to be effectively implemented — a fact that became clear following the 2024 terror attack at Crocus City Hall, and with the FSB’s Second Service taking over regulation for the Russian-language internet.
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