Orenburg resident suspected of trafficking in wiretapping devices

A resident of Orenburg will be tried for illegal sale of seven listening devices for hidden acoustic information, which he camouflaged under fire detectors. This was reported by the press service of the FSB Department of Russia in the Orenburg region on February 17.

The devices were placed in the premises of one of the entertainment facilities in the city, where many people usually gather. For his actions, the defendant received a reward of 141 thousand rubles from the customer, the owner of the establishment.

On the basis of the materials of the Federal Security Service of Russia and the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee (ICS) of Russia for the Orenburg region, a criminal case was initiated under Article 138.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Illegal circulation of special technical means intended for unauthorized acquisition of information").

Investigators continue to collect evidence in the case and identify other violations. A search is underway for all persons involved in the crime.

On November 27, 2024, the Federation Council approved a draft law that introduces fines for violation of legal requirements in the field of personal data. Artem Sheikin, a member of the SF Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building, noted that negotiable fines for repeated data leakage will range from 1 to 3% of companies' annual revenue. The minimum amount of negotiable fines will be from 20 million to 500 million rubles. The law also introduces fines of up to RUB 15 million for illegal transfer of information, which includes a special category of personal data related to health information.