UrBC, Moscow, October 2, 2018. Some of the amendments in the package popularly known as the ‘Yarovaya law’ came into effect on October 1. This means Internet service providers are now obliged to store all of their users’ online traffic produced in the last thirty days. The storage units’ capacity is expected to rise by 15% a year for the next five years to come.

The ‘Yarovaya law’ was signed by the President on July 7, 2016. The initiative imposed much stricter data user tracking and storing regulations and imposed a number of new obligations on the ISPs and online services. The part of the package that says the ISPs must store all of their users’ voice calls, text messages, and emails/private or direct messages for six months came into effect as early as July 1, 2018.