Russia has introduced a new law that makes it mandatory for all foreigners in the Moscow region to install a tracking app.
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The new proposal was announced by State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who presented it as a measure to combat crime by immigrants. Through a mobile phone application, which all foreigners must install on their smartphones, the Russian state will collect the following information:
- Place of residence
- Fingerprints
- Face photo
- Real-time location tracking
The measures will not apply to diplomats of foreign countries or citizens of Belarus. Foreigners who try to avoid installing the surveillance app under the new law will be placed on a register of monitored persons and deported from Russia.
The Russian internet freedom organization Roskomsvoboda expressed skepticism and concern about this proposal.
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Lawyer Anna Minushkina pointed out that the proposal violates Articles 23 and 24 of the Russian Constitution, which guarantee the right to privacy.
The chairman of the Uzbek Community of Moscow, Viktor Teplyankov, called the initiative “ill-conceived and difficult to implement,” expressing doubts about its viability.
Finally, Andrey Yakimov from the PSP Foundation warned that such aggressive measures are likely to discourage future migrant workers, creating a different problem for the country.
The proposal has not yet taken its final form and issues such as device loss or theft , as well as other technical or practical obstacles, are expected to be clarified in the near future, during meetings between the Ministry and regional authorities.
The mass surveillance experiment will last until September 2029 and, if deemed successful, the mechanism will be expanded to other areas of the country.
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The Russian government’s proposal to impose mandatory app-based tracking of all foreigners in the Moscow region raises serious constitutional and human rights. The measure appears to be part of a broader trend to tighten immigration policy and strengthen state control.
Source: bleepingcomputer
