Russia’s security service has mandated that banks implement the SORM system by 2027, classifying them as ‘information dissemination organisers’ and allowing authorities to intercept messages, videos, and voice recordings
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has issued a sweeping directive ordering banks to install specialised surveillance equipment that will grant authorities real-time access to customer communications, according to a report by the RBC news website.
The technology in question is known as SORM (System for Operative Investigative Activities). It enables security services to intercept and analyse a wide range of user-generated content, including text messages, voice recordings, and video shared through banking websites and mobile applications. Banks have been given until 2027 to comply with the order.
The justification for the measure relies on a broad reclassification of financial institutions. The FSB has designated banks as “information dissemination organisers” a category previously reserved for social media platforms, messengers, and email services whose websites and apps allow users to exchange messages.
Major Russian financial institutions, including Sberbank, T-Bank, and Moscow Credit Bank, have already been added to the registry of such organisers, according to the digital rights group Roskomsvoboda.
Increased Penalties & Expanded Surveillance
The new order follows a law passed in July that sharply increased penalties for companies that fail to install SORM equipment. Fines for non-compliance are severe:
Individuals face fines of 15,000 to 30,000 rubles (USD 160–USD 320).
Company officials can be fined up to 500,000 rubles.
Firms face turnover-based fines ranging from 0.001 per cent to 0.003 per cent of annual revenue, with a minimum fine of 1 million rubles.
This move is a further extension of Russia’s existing surveillance architecture, notably the “Yarovaya law,” which already requires information service providers to store metadata on user messages for one year and the content of those communications for six months.
The expansion of SORM goes beyond financial services. In a separate development in August, the Digital Development Ministry drafted an order requiring satellite operators to give security services access to 5G network traffic by installing SORM equipment at ground stations. This measure would enable the FSB to monitor calls, internet activity, and other data transmitted via satellite networks.
