How Russia Uses Big Data to Create a “digital gulag”

In today's world, large amounts of information are increasingly used not only to develop technology but also to manipulate public consciousness in subtle ways.

Russia has been doing it extensively for the last 25 years, almost all the years Putin took office.

Russia is one of the best examples of how large-scale monitoring and analysis of Big Data can be used to turn a country into a “digital isolator.”

Technologies positioned as progressive and beneficial for citizens are becoming tools for relentlessly monitoring and suppressing dissent. At the same time, Russia is building a robust internal population control system. It is also trying to use the obtained information for informational operations outside the country, which confirms the dangerous potential of the state's monopoly on personal data.

A “Digital Gulag”?

Analysts often draw parallels between the Russian approach to data use and the well-known Chinese model of “social credit”, where citizens get state approval of their deeds and are treated based on this rating.

Although this system in Russia does not have an open format for accruing points, it is already effectively operating in a mode where “undesirable” individuals may lose access to banking services, be unable to travel abroad, or face other forms of pressure. Self-censorship is gradually spreading among citizens, and the fear of punishment encourages people to refrain from critical statements online.

As a result, a society is being formed where everyone is forced to avoid “risky” topics, fearing the consequences for themselves and others.

What are Data Centers for?

An extensive network of modern data centers is one of the key factors that allows the authorities to conduct total surveillance. Data centers owned by state enterprises are used for accumulating all Big Data about citizens. Large data storage and processing complexes in Russia are being built and modernized, with adequate communication and power supply infrastructure. They accumulate information about millions of people, including pictures from social networks, search history, and biometric parameters (fingerprints, voice, facial features). The introduction of face recognition cameras in large cities is hazardous. Formally presented as a “security element,” they are designed to track the movements and actions of anyone who may be of interest to the security services or who shows disloyalty.

There are more than 1 million video surveillance cameras in Russia, of which about 230,000 are installed in Moscow. About a third of them are connected to a face recognition system. And in 2024, the Russian government spent more than 57 billion rubles to create a video surveillance system using artificial intelligence to analyze video streams.

The SORM System and the New Gestapo

The primary tool that turns this network into an effective repressive mechanism is the SORM system, which is the technical specification for “lawful” interception interfaces of telecommunications and telephone networks operating in Russia. According to Russian rules, Internet providers and telecom operators had to install equipment that transmits all the necessary data about citizens' communications to the FSB in real time.

Russian authorities turn communication systems into a part of the repressive mechanism. Photo: Jonas Petrovas / Shutterstock

Under the guise of “fighting terrorism,” the special services were granted virtually unlimited powers to wiretap phone calls, monitor emails, and track users' online activities without court orders. The scenarios for using this data are not limited to the borders of the Russian Federation: it is also used for cyberattacks on government resources in other countries and for interference in election processes abroad.

The State is Everywhere

The legislative framework created by the Russian authorities has become a reliable support for the surveillance system. The “Yarovaya package” officially allows security forces to access citizens’ personal calls, text messages, and Internet traffic without a court order.

In addition, the state agency Roskomnadzor, which is publicly described as a regulator of the communications and mass media market, has also turned out to be a key censor of the digital space. 

It blacklists undesirable websites, social networks, and services. Powerful corporations such as Sber (the biggest Russian bank), Yandex (browser), and Rostelecom (telecom provider), on the one hand, offer popular services, and on the other hand, join the process of centralized accumulation of huge amounts of personal data.

In December 2024, Roskomnadzor tested the isolation of the Russian segment of the Internet by disconnecting three regions - Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingushetia - from the global network for several hours. In July 2024, Apple, at the request of Roskomnadzor, removed 25 VPN services from the Russian App Store, including the popular NordVPN and Proton VPN. And since 2018, Russia has had a law prohibiting the use of messengers without user identification by phone number, limiting anonymity on the Internet.

Censorship for Everyone

Knowledge of the preferences, social contacts, and behavior of millions of people opens up opportunities for the authorities to exert covert influence and information pressure. Russia actively uses the mechanism of blocking unwanted content and creating fake information campaigns aimed at discrediting or marginalizing certain political forces.

People are punished with fines or arrests for “wrong” posts or reposts, and those who try to circumvent censorship by using VPNs or other means face additional risks as the system records and analyzes such activity. This is gradually pushing any manifestations of alternative opinion out of the public sphere and making open discussions impossible.

Conclusions from the Russian Example

The example of Russia shows that when the government receives unlimited tools for the total collection and processing of information, it naturally leads to the construction of “digital authoritarianism.” Under the guise of striving for innovation and security, the potential of Big Data can very quickly be turned into a comprehensive system of control and repression.

International calls for stricter regulation of facial recognition and biometric data collection technologies often do not affect a state that ignores global norms and does not recognize the limits within its borders.

This experience should serve as a warning for other countries: in the absence of a reliable judicial system and sufficient democratic checks, digital technologies are quickly becoming a tool of outright repression, leading to the isolation of society in a “virtual prison.”

Bohdan Popov, Head of Digital at the United Ukraine Think Tank, communications specialist and public figure