Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2025

Russia Develops Software For Monitoring 'Deviant' Social Media Behaviour

Russia Develops Software For Monitoring 'Deviant' Social Media Behaviour

The programme alerts authorities to information that leads "children and young people to take actions that pose a threat to their life", it said, as well as "signs of fatally negative deviant states".
Russia said Monday it has developed software that monitors social media to help authorities prevent young people from harming themselves and others, but which critics say could be used to silence dissent.

The initiative comes after an 18-year-old student at Perm State University last month shot dead six people in the latest in a growing number of campus shootings in recent years.

Russia's youth affairs agency Rosmolodyozh said an NGO founded in 2018 at the behest of President Vladimir Putin has developed software that can "quickly track the spread of destructive subcultures among young people".

"The system is used to monitor the open circuit of the Russian-speaking segment of popular social networks," Rosmolodyozh told AFP in a statement.

Rosmolodyozh added that the Centre for the Study and Network Monitoring of the Youth Environment had also developed a separate system called "Angel.Destruktiv" to monitor telecommunications networks and the internet.

The programme alerts authorities to information that leads "children and young people to take actions that pose a threat to their life", it said, as well as "signs of fatally negative deviant states".

Rosmolodyozh said that the NGO already provides law enforcement agencies with information "about intent to commit illegal or antisocial actions".

Russian business dailies RBK and Vedomosti reported last month that the government had allocated more than 1.5 billion rubles ($20 million, $17 million euros) for the development of a similar system.

Sarkis Darbinyan, a lawyer with the Roskomsvoboda digital rights NGO, said that the software would automatise "the repression of online activity," calling it a "very serious threat to freedom of speech".

"It is very doubtful that the ultimate goal will be achieved, but this system can lead to problems for many users and activists."

It carries "huge risks to the freedom of people who express opinions against the government," he added.

The Russian government has in recent years used the pretext of protecting minors and fighting extremism to control the Russian segment of the web and has begun developing a so-called sovereign internet.

Authorities have blamed foreign influence for school shootings, saying young Russians have been exposed online and on television to similar attacks in the United States and elsewhere.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
×