The Big Data Association (ABD), consisting of major companies such as Yandex, VK, Rostelecom, Megaphone, and others, has raised concerns about the potential risks associated with recent amendments made to several federal laws by the State Duma. These amendments specifically address the handling of personal information for certain groups of individuals. One of the proposed mechanisms would grant power structures the ability to delete and replace notes related to these individuals, as well as remote access to the databases.
ABD’s review, familiarized by Kommersant, highlights the risks of modifying information and providing “uncontrolled access of defense and law enforcement agencies” to personal data databases. These risks include compromising the work and integrity of the databases, as well as the potential transfer of information to third parties.
Additionally, ABD points out that there is a possibility of administrative and criminal prosecution against individuals responsible for the databases due to inconsistencies with other laws, particularly for financial organizations and subjects of critical information infrastructure (KII). The association also criticizes the requirement to notify authorities about the presence of “information about the departmental affiliation of” individuals in the databases, as it is unclear what this information entails.
While ABD acknowledges the importance of achieving the goals outlined in the bill, the association suggests either excluding provisions regarding remote access for power bodies altogether or limiting it to state and municipal information systems. They propose that any seizure or modification of data should only occur through formal requests sent via selected employees of personal data operators who have clearance for state secrets.
ABD has confirmed that they are preparing a recall and has already submitted proposals to the FSB, the government apparatus, and the State Duma Committee on Information Policy on August 31. However, as of now, the designated bodies have not responded to Kommersant’s requests. The State Duma Council has included the bill in the program for November on September 18.