Russia’s Big Data Association refuses to back regulation bill that would give law enforcement access to users’ personal data on corporate servers

The Russian Big Data Association (RUBDA), whose membership includes the IT giants Yandex, VK, Rostelekom, and Megafon, has produced a white paper criticizing a new data regulation bill.

The bill, submitted to the Russian State Duma on September 18, amounts to a package of amendments to different Russian laws, for the purpose of giving Russia’s law-enforcement and state security agencies direct access to major corporate information systems and their data. Among the permissions mentioned in the draft is a right to manipulate corporate data sets remotely, by editing and deleting certain types of records.

The RUBDA white paper criticizes the bill for granting “uncontrollable access” to personal data to Russia’s “defense and law enforcement agencies,” a step that could potentially compromise the integrity and functionality of data systems, and also increase the risk of data leaks to third parties. The document also points out the increased risk of liability for data custodians that could arise from the proposed legislation.

RUBDA recommends removing the clause on the government agencies’ remote access to data systems, apart from state and municipal data. In addition, it argues that deleting or modifying user records should only be possible by submitting an official request.

The IT association nevertheless approves of the proposed regulation bill as “significant” in terms of its objectives.

Deliberations in the State Duma have been scheduled for November.