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Russia's Yandex 'Declines Request' To Hand Over Encryption Keys

By RFE/RL June 04, 2019

Yandex, Russia's largest search engine, has refused to turn over encryption keys that would give the country's law enforcement the ability to decode its entire e-mail traffic, local media report.

RBK reported on June 4 that Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), requested the company's keys a few months ago.

Yandex fears that handing over the keys will drive users toward its largest competitor, U.S.-based Google, and result in a decline in earnings, the news agency reported.

Yandex is publicly traded on the NASDAQ index in New York.

"The law talks about handing over information that is necessary to decode messages, which does not imply a demand to transfer the keys needed to decipher all traffic," Yandex said in a statement later in the day, without confirming that it had denied the FSB request.

Russia has tightened its control in recent years over the country's Internet -- a move that opponents of President Vladimir Putin say is aimed at squashing discontent and challenges to his rule.

While Russia's TV and print media largely remains in the hands of the state or businessmen close to power, the Internet remains relatively uncontrolled.

Russia now requires more than 170 entities it calls "information disseminators" -- such as Yandex, encrypted messaging service Telegram, and popular dating app Tinder -- to store servers containing its residents' communication data inside the country and give access to law enforcement when they demand it.

Roskomnadzor, the nation's communications regulator, last week added Tinder to the list of entities, sparking concern over law enforcement access to intimate messages.

"The aim of the law is to ensure safety and we completely share the importance of these goals. However, fulfilling the law is possible without compromising the privacy of personal data," Yandex said in its June 4 statement.

Roskomnadzor last year tried to block Telegram for not handing over its keys.

It has blocked Microsoft's professional networking website LinkedIn and also fined Facebook and Twitter for not following the nation's Internet laws.

Russia is unlikely to block Yandex like it did with Telegram, Sarkis Darbinyan, a partner at the Center for Digitial Rights, told RBK, adding that the two sides will find a compromise.

However, the state has a lot of leverage over Yandex in this situation, Darbinyan said. For instance, the state could block it for a day or two, causing significant financial losses.

With reporting by RBK and Kommersant

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-s-yandex -declines-request-to-hand-over- encryption-keys/29981544.html

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.