Russia's personal data laws are notoriously strict, but they did nothing to help debtors in western Siberia who were hung out to dry for their whole city to see on street billboards.
A power generation company in Omsk has put up warning posters about clients who have failed to pay their heating bills, the local edition of Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper reported.
On Monday, the paper published a photo of one such billboard, which featured a headshot of the debtor accompanied by his full surname and initials, as well as the amount of his unpaid debt: 70,000 rubles ($1,700).
The report did not specify how many of these posters have appeared in Omsk, but the TGK-11 company was also said to be using local television stations and street bulletin boards to expose other debtors.
Some of the debtors were identified as alimony dodgers, a fact that has also been made public on the billboards, Komsomolskaya Pravda said.
The state-controlled TGK-11 made no mention of the practice on its website.
Russian legislation severely restricts the dissemination of personal information without a person's permission in most cases, but court enforcement proceedings are an exception.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.