The bill on access of security forces to databases passed the first reading

The State Duma adopted in the first reading a bill that provides law enforcement agencies with access to state, municipal and other information systems that contain data on the departmental affiliation of their employees. Including to “change, anonymize or delete” this data. We are talking about employees of the Ministry of Defense, the FSB and FSO, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and foreign intelligence services, as well as judges. The current version of the bill was developed by the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, IT and Communications and submitted to the State Duma on August 3. The project involves introducing amendments to a number of federal laws (“On the FSB”, “On State Protection of Judges…”, “On the Police”, etc.).

At a meeting of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy on November 10, where it was recommended to consider the bill in the first reading, it was clarified that the initiative is important in conditions of increased danger for the “protected circle of people,” as well as because of the problem with the secure storage of personal data. Committee Chairman Alexander Khinshtein noted that the category of such persons is “not static”: a new employee may join the service, and information about him may already be in various databases. “Accordingly, information about him should at least be subject to rethinking,” he explained.

There is certainly a problem with the protection of certain categories of civil servants, as well as other protected persons, says Igor Bederov, head of the Internet Search company. At the same time, previously there was no regulatory framework regulating the circulation of such data; however, he says, with the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, the situation worsened, which prompted the state to change the legislation.

However, market participants criticized the bill is still at the stage of introduction, explaining this by risks for business. Direct access of law enforcement agencies to information systems, which the government plans to introduce in order to protect “significant personal data,” will violate their integrity and create a threat for businesses to violate other laws, feared the Association of Big Data (BDA, unites Yandex, VK, Rostelecom) , MegaFon, etc.).

The implementation of the bill will entail costs for budgets and personal data operators to implement information protection measures, including the implementation of cryptographic protection in communication channels when data operators interact with defense and law enforcement agencies, according to the Internet Research Institute (an independent consulting and analytical structure, III). Taking into account the presence in Russia of more than 6 million personal data operators, both public and private, significant costs will be required for the purchase, deployment and operation of cryptographic protection means, indicate the III.

According to Igor Bederov, strengthening control over citizens’ data can increase corruption, increase administrative barriers and other abuses. “The business is not developing,” the expert points out. The state’s position regarding security forces’ access to the information systems of private companies, according to Mr. Bederov, should be built on the principles of mutual respect and cooperation.

Tatiana Isakova