Starting from 01.07.2018, the “Yarovaya Project” (or “Yarovaya Law”) operates on the territory of the Russian Federation, under which all mobile operators must store their subscribers’ data for six months:

• Internet traffic;
• conversations;
• SMS;
• audio files;
• video and other data.

All of the above information will be shared with law enforcement officials upon request. Storage capacity (data storage systems) will increase by 15% annually.

Learn more about the innovations

The amendments that the Yarovaya Law introduces into the current legislation of the Russian Federation can be summarized as follows:

1. Law enforcement agencies are getting more powers.
2. Cellular operators and web resources are subject to different requirements regarding the equipment used and data retention periods.
3. New requirements are also being imposed on postal operators and freight forwarders.
4. The religious and missionary activities of the organizations will be closely monitored.

Among the most important innovations are an increase in the term for certain criminal articles, the introduction of a ban on entry and exit from the country, an increase in the storage period of data of their subscribers by mobile operators (from 6 months to 3 years), permission for authorized persons to receive electronic correspondence from the operator of subscribers, liability under the Criminal Code for non—compliance with the law.

Important features of the innovations

The “Spring Package” includes 2 projects:

1. No. 1039101-6 to Federal Law 375 “On Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation regarding the Establishment of additional measures to counter terrorism and Ensure Public safety.”
2. No. 1039149-6 to Federal Law 374 “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation regarding the Establishment of additional measures to counter terrorism and Ensure public Safety.”

The first draft amended the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and added 3 additional violations to it, for which criminal liability is threatened:

1. Assistance to extremists in their activities.
2. Ignoring the obligation to report terrorist acts.
3. The commission of an international terrorist act.

According to Amendment No. 1039149-6 of the Yarovaya Law, now each operator must store SMS and conversations of its subscribers for a period established by the government of the Russian Federation (up to 6 months), and data regarding receiving, sending and processing SMS and calls — up to 3 years.

Regarding online projects

As part of this project, all on-demand online services are required to provide law enforcement agencies with the following data about their users:

• nickname;
• date of birth;
• FCs;
• passport details;
• languages spoken by the user;
• email address;
• list of related persons;
• texts of personal correspondence;
• the date and time of entry to the site, etc.

On 12.04.2018, the Russian Government decided that from 01.10.2018, mobile operators are required to increase their storage volumes by 15% per year.