Russia's Unified Biometric System

Russia's Unified Biometric System: Question More? about:reader?url=https%3A%2F%2Fedwardslavsquat.substack.com...
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Russia's Unified Biometric System:

Question More?
Edward Slavsquat
6-7 minutes
Yes, more questions. Please.
By Riley Waggaman, a former “senior editor” (newsroom

errand boy) at RT
Over the past two weeks this humble internet blog has been
covering the rushed and troublesome adoption of a highly
dubious law on biometrics collection, storage, and usage in
Russia. (See: here, here, here, here.)
Our blog posts on this subject cited numerous Russian-

language websites, Telegram channels, activists, and
1 of 6 07-01-2023, 13:33
lawmakers who have been leading the fight against Schwab-

inspired digital degeneracy in Russia.
But not so fast!
RT.com—which is always Questioning More—officially

confirmed that this law is awesome. And why would Russian
state media misrepresent Russian domestic policy? That would
be completely insane.
The State Duma adopted in the final—third—reading the law

on biometrics
True, two documents appear in public. One in official papers is

confusingly called: “On the state information system ‘Unified
personal data information system’ that provides processing,
including the collection and storage of biometric personal data,
their verification and transmission of information on the degree
of their compliance with the provided biometric personal data of
an individual.”
Such absurd formulations usually hide the illiteracy of the

authors.
The second name is short and to the point: “The Law on the
Prohibition of Compulsory Collection of Biometrics.”
The bill caused so many protests and negative reviews that

lobbyists from the Ministry of Digital Development and the State
Duma, frightened by the wrath of the people, renamed the
legislation on the fly.
Say, do not worry, citizens, we care about you! This “dressings

up” shows there is a lot of dishonest and dirty things with the
mentioned law. […]
The bill on a unified biometric system (UBS) was allegedly

developed “in connection with the implementation of state policy
2 of 6 07-01-2023, 13:33
in terms of increasing the security of processing biometric

personal data.” The document establishes the “legal basis for
this processing”, but does not explain why it is needed in
principle.
And here the questions are: what—the current passport is not

enough to confirm the identity of a citizen? What is wrong with
this document? Only because it does not allow introducing a
system of total digital control over every person in the country?
[…]
Hearings were held in the Public Chamber of the Russian

Federation, where tough questions were formulated for
gentlemen lobbyists. But they did not answer them—they simply
did not come to the hearings. They were afraid of direct
discussion with the public. Moreover, all the speakers were
categorically against the bill, and not at the level of
amendments, but in principle.
Most of the participants came to a consensus on key issues,

namely:
an attempt to push the project through on New Year's Eve, when

people are already thinking more about the holidays, testifies to
the unscrupulous manipulations of the authors;
data security is not guaranteed in any way;
the project declares voluntariness, but creates a legal

framework for forcing the surrender of biometrics after the fact;
that is, without biometrics, a person will be a second-class
citizen;
the project creates conditions for stripping citizens of their rights;
the participation of a non-state operator is expected;
the participation of foreign capital is not limited in any way;
3 of 6 07-01-2023, 13:33
centralizing the biometrics of Russians is fraught with threats to

Russia’s security if they are stolen, which is almost inevitable if
such a law is passed.
Important questions were asked: who is responsible for the

information security of the project? What are the requirements
for these people? What is their status? Nothing is known about
this. It turns out that we entrust the data on all citizens to
incomprehensible structures that have no special obligations.
[…]
Now about the "prohibition of forced collection." Yes, the law

expressly prohibits forcing people to make “bio-casts”, but one
of the articles provides for admission to defense industry
enterprises and critical infrastructure through the UBS. It is
possible that employees of such enterprises will have to turn in
their “bio-casts” in order to keep their jobs. TIN [taxpayer
identification number], for example, also remains optional ... And
who does not have one?
It is reported that all the bio-profiles that banks have

accumulated since 2018 (according to some estimates, there
are about 70 million of them) will be transferred free of charge
and without the consent of people to the UBS until September
30, 2023. What kind of “voluntary system” are we talking about?!
People will only be “notified” of the transfer. “Gosuslugi”
[Russia’s online public services portal] I remember, was also
declared voluntary, but today one cannot take a step without
them.
In short, adopted in a desperate hurry, on New Year's Eve and

under an incomprehensible name, the law is not only illiterate,
senseless and harmful—it is dangerous! True, officials, in an
effort to obtain a convenient instrument of control over society,
4 of 6 07-01-2023, 13:33
do not yet realize this. But the longer they remain in the dark,
the higher the risks will be.
Source
The RT “article” goes so far as to cite Vyacheslav Volodin,

speaker of the Duma, as proof that this law is amazing and
privacy-protecting.
Yeah, the guy who voted for this bill says it’s good—shocking.
Copy-pasting hot takes on Russian domestic policy from

RUSSIAN STATE MEDIA: It’s what “indy” media craves!
(source: SOTT.net)
RT does a decent job of shining a light on stories that are often

overlooked (or rather, ignored) by western mainstream media.
RT also excels at providing much-needed context about stories

or unsubstantiated claims circulating in western mainstream
media.
Finally, RT hosts many talented writers (almost exclusively

disaffected westerners) who use the site’s op-ed page to
5 of 6 07-01-2023, 13:33
excoriate their depraved western governments.
It is nice that RT does these things.
Subscribe to Edward Slavsquat and get a free RT tote bag!
6 of 6 07-01-2023, 13:33

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Russia's Unified Biometric System: Question More? about:reader?url=https%3A%2F%2Fedwardslavsquat.substack.com...

Russia's Unified Biometric System:

Yes, more questions. Please.

By Riley Waggaman, a former “senior editor” (newsroom

Our blog posts on this subject cited numerous Russian-

lawmakers who have been leading the fight against Schwab-

But not so fast!

RT.com—which is always Questioning More—officially

The State Duma adopted in the final—third—reading the law

True, two documents appear in public. One in official papers is

Such absurd formulations usually hide the illiteracy of the

The bill caused so many protests and negative reviews that

Say, do not worry, citizens, we care about you! This “dressings

The bill on a unified biometric system (UBS) was allegedly

in terms of increasing the security of processing biometric

And here the questions are: what—the current passport is not

Hearings were held in the Public Chamber of the Russian

Most of the participants came to a consensus on key issues,

an attempt to push the project through on New Year's Eve, when

data security is not guaranteed in any way;

the project declares voluntariness, but creates a legal

the project creates conditions for stripping citizens of their rights;

the participation of a non-state operator is expected;

the participation of foreign capital is not limited in any way;

centralizing the biometrics of Russians is fraught with threats to

Important questions were asked: who is responsible for the

Now about the "prohibition of forced collection." Yes, the law

It is reported that all the bio-profiles that banks have

In short, adopted in a desperate hurry, on New Year's Eve and

The RT “article” goes so far as to cite Vyacheslav Volodin,

Copy-pasting hot takes on Russian domestic policy from

RT does a decent job of shining a light on stories that are often

RT also excels at providing much-needed context about stories

Finally, RT hosts many talented writers (almost exclusively

excoriate their depraved western governments.

It is nice that RT does these things.

Subscribe to Edward Slavsquat and get a free RT tote bag!

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Russia's Unified Biometric System

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