Russia’s Interior Ministry has proposed providing private organizations with Russians’ personal data on a paid basis. The cost of one request would be 50 rubles. This is stated in a draft resolution highlighted by The Moscow Times.
The ministry intends to transfer data to banks, microfinance organizations, telecom operators, brokers, insurance companies, non-state pension funds, and other entities. For this, it plans to use the interdepartmental electronic interaction system, which is connected to more than 500 organizations.
The list of information that could be provided for a fee includes passport validity data, the place of registration of Russians and foreigners, issued temporary residence permits, as well as data on the registration of foreigners at their place of stay.
In its explanatory note, the Interior Ministry said that in 2024, more than 1.6 billion requests for data transfers were submitted to the ministry’s system, and in 2025, more than 3.1 billion. Based on the average annual figure and the 50-ruble price per request, the ministry expects to bring nearly 120 billion rubles a year to the federal budget.
The document is expected to come into force on September 1, 2026.
In November 2024, Putin signed a package of laws increasing penalties for personal data leaks and their use. Article 272.1 of the Criminal Code provides for punishment of up to 10 years in prison. Soon after, law enforcement opened several criminal cases against Telegram bots that were selling Russians’ personal data for money.