The Russian intelligence services are likely to enjoy: The state wants to access data on the Dating platform Tinder. Also a much larger company in Russia under pressure.
Tinder might be required in Russia as one of the first Western Online sizes to cooperate with intelligence services. Like Mondays, it became known, has taken the telecommunications control authority, Roskomnadzor, at the end of may, the US-Dating platform in a special Register with the Online information provider. A new law obliges companies from this Register to store user data for six months and on request of security authorities. Refers to secret services, but also the Interior and the Ministry of defence or the customs authority. You have, in fact, to register a transfer of data is not, however, quote the Russian media a Tinder representative. If there were questions, is not known.
The Dilemma of Tinder
Thus, especially among young people popular Tinder is faced with a Dilemma: Either there is more user data to the Russian authorities and takes a possible image damage, or it risks a block. In Russia developed the Messenger service Telegram was received in 2017 in the Register, and refused to provide the domestic intelligence service, the FSB, access codes. He was then locked. Telegram is used in Russia, however, with the help of Software to bypass such a Lock still.
Detailed information about Tinder-users in Russia, there is not. According to estimates by the Russian media, it could be around 200,000. To the entire market of Dating Apps in the country is about three million users to include, is the market leader in the Russian offers Mamba and Badoo, which have already been registered earlier.
Yandex, the Russian market leader among the search engines, even under pressure
Overall, the Roskomnadzor Register includes around 200 Online provider of little-known sites, up to giants such as the Email service Mail.ru or VKontakte, the Russian equivalent of Facebook. The Swiss messaging service Threema has been registered. If he gives the data of its users to the Russian authorities, is not known.
Dating App as the source of the discrediting?
Observers in Moscow as the Journalist and Blogger Alexander Pluschtschew my, Tinder is expected to serve as “an excellent source for the Kompromat”. This term is referred to in Russia incriminating information, which are used by secret services to blackmail or the discrediting of a Person. In the media released reports of sexual relationships are a particularly popular method. “This is true not only for Russia but for the whole world,” says Pluschtschew in an interview with DW. It is unclear, as it is now with foreign Tinder-the customer is handled when they interact with Russian citizens, contacts and relationships.
Like “Kompromat” to work with the help of Tinder, shows an example of neighboring Ukraine. By the end of 2018 have been widely used in social networks and in some media allegations of a student compared to a high-ranking police officials. The man they allegedly harassed on Tinder sexually and threatened. The story turned out to be Fake, the perpetrators were identified, some of them have been convicted.
Tinder – an “ideal target”
Tinder is an “ideal target” for Roskomnadzor, said the Blogger Pluschtschew, because every decision of the US company would play in Moscow in the hands. Tinder, the data transfer should agree to, would be the “first big success” of the Russian Internet regulatory policy in respect of foreign participants. The Dating if-platform, but cross, one would block you. Then Moscow would have an additional Argument in talks with Western data giants like Facebook and Google, says Pluschtschew: “Look here, we tighten the screws slowly but surely.”
The same message is likely to apply also to Yandex, the Russian market leader among the search engines. The Netherlands-based international companies already in 2014, in the Register of Roskomnadzor. Now Russian media reports, the secret service, the FSB, have requested the access codes for some of the services of the company, including those for a Webpostfach. Would affect tens of millions of Russians – so much more than in the case of Tinder users. Yandex said on Tuesday in a statement that it should be possible to comply with the law, without violating the privacy of the customers.