Support The Moscow Times!

Moscow Lawyers Complain to Prosecutors Over Windows 10 Privacy

A display for the Windows 10 operating system is seen in a store window at the Microsoft store at Roosevelt Field in Garden City, New York. Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

Lawyers with the Bubnov and Partners legal practice in Moscow have filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General's Office over the privacy and data collection settings of the Windows 10 computer operating system, RIA Novosti reported Thursday, citing one of the lawyers.

The lawyers allege that the operating system illicitly collects users' browser history, passwords, location, elements of electronic messages, calendar records and even voice recordings. According to the lawyers, this could breach Russia's privacy laws, including the law on legal practice.

Last week, State Duma Deputy Vadim Solovyov sent an official request to the Prosecutor General's Office to review Microsoft, the company that developed Windows 10, for its compliance with the Russian law, Izvestia newspaper reported at the time. The deputy claimed that Windows 10 is effectively spying on its users.

A spokesman for Microsoft denied the allegations to RIA Novosti.

“The new operating system offers users the choice of how they want it to handle their data and users can change the settings at any point,” the unidentified spokesman told the news agency on Thursday.

The Russian Association for Electronic Communications said in a statement last Friday that the Windows 10 operating system has flexible settings and therefore does not breach Russian law. In its statement, the association also described how a user can turn off data collection in the system's settings.

In February, Russia's Communications Ministry proposed banning state agencies from using foreign software in an effort to help domestic developers. The proposal is still under consideration.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

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.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more