Russia to Mount Spy Fest for Winter Olympics

It seems to be not enough for the Russian government to make its Winter Olympics a forbidden zone for gay people – in addition to this, the local authorities are ready to mount a spy fest. Media reports emerged that the Black Sea resort of Sochi has been wired to allow Russian equivalent of FBI (Federal Security Service or FSB) to log all visitor communications.


Apparently, any sportsmen and spectators attending the Winter Olympics 2014 in Sochi next February will have to deal with invasive and systematic spying and surveillance. The report, prepared by a team of Russian journalists investigating the preparations for the Games, revealed tenders from the local communication firms describing a phone and online spying capability not seen before.

This move could enable the FSB to intercept any telephone or data traffic and even track the use of key words or phrases mentioned in emails, chats and on social media. The reporters claimed that major amendments have been made to phone and Wi-Fi networks in the Black Sea resort in order to ensure monitoring and filtering of all traffic.

The spies are using Sorm, a Russian technology for intercepting telephone and Internet communications, which is being modernized throughout the country, but the most attention has been paid to Sochi given the enormous number of foreign visitors expected in 2014.

The system will allow deep packet inspection to filter people by keywords. The Russian government has already threatened gay sportsmen and spectators with arrest if they attend the games and protest, so apparently this is how they are going to find out.

The researchers insist that the FSB has been working for three years to upgrade the Sorm system to ensure it can digest the extra traffic during the Olympics. The law requires all telephone and ISP providers to install Sorm boxes in their technology. Once the equipment is in place, the FSB will be able to access information without the provider ever knowing.

In the meantime, the Russian authorities claimed that the London Olympics featured far more intrusive measures – for example, the UK installed CCTV cameras in the toilets, while Russia wouldn’t.