Russia imposes obligation to provide information on KakaoTalk... "For the purpose of monitoring the Security Service."

Russian media reported on the 20th local time that Korea's leading messenger service KakaoTalk has been included in the list of officials of the Russian telecommunications regulators.

The media reported on the 19th that KakaoTalk was included among the 12 services forcibly registered in the "information distribution organization" of the Russian Telecommunications, Information Technology, and MassCom Supervisory Service (Loscomnadzor).

WhatsApp, the only non-prohibited messenger service in Russia among U.S. Meta's services classified as an "extremist organization" in Russia, was also on the list, including internet phone Skype and blockchain messenger Cribvisor.

The inclusion in this list creates an obligation to store information from users and messages on Russian territory and to fulfill the requirements of Russian security agencies.

In this regard, the Russian civic group Roskomsbo, which opposes internet censorship, claimed that "the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) is trying to monitor 12 messenger users."

"Information distribution organizations are obliged to send data, including user actions and conversations, to the FSB," he said, rather than Roskomsbo, explaining that messages, calls and videos are targeted.

It also added that information distribution organizations should install special equipment at their own expense so that FSB can continue to access this information.

However, it said it was not clear whether companies on the list of information distribution organizations, rather than Roskomsbo, would fulfill these obligations.

It also added that it was unclear whether the companies were willing to work closely with the Russian authorities, as well as whether they knew they were on such a list.

Google, the world's largest search engine, failed to comply with a Russian court order to unblock Russian media YouTube channels.

Although the cumulative fine has been increased to an astronomical amount of two roubles (one is the 36th power of 10), it is expected that it will be difficult for Russia to actually collect the fine.