The European Union on Monday widened its sanctions regime targeting Russia, adding a mix of individuals and organizations it says are connected to cybercrime and violations of human rights. Among the entities newly listed is the social media operator VKontakte together with its subsidiary Communication Platform LLC.
VKontakte and Communication Platform LLC were designated by EU authorities for their role in the development and operation of MaxApp, a mobile application installed on Russian smartphones. The EU said MaxApp is overseen by the FSB security agency and comes pre-installed on all mobile devices sold in Russia.
EU member states asserted that MaxApp has been used to suppress critics of Russia's war against Ukraine and to take action against individuals who posted content deemed prohibited by Russian authorities. Those claims were cited as part of the rationale for adding VKontakte and its subsidiary to the sanctions list.
In the same package of measures, Brussels targeted several private companies linked to a broader surveillance capability. The EU imposed restrictive measures on Citadel, VAS Experts and Norsi-Trans, identifying these firms as manufacturers, developers and sellers of hardware and software that support a system for monitoring phone calls, emails, text messages and social networks.
The EU said the surveillance network built with products from these companies is used to monitor and target journalists, opposition figures, minority groups and ordinary citizens. The new measures are intended to disrupt the suppliers and operators the EU says facilitate intrusive monitoring and repression.
Beyond technology vendors and the social media platform, the sanctions package also names officers from Russia's military intelligence service, the GRU, as well as cybercriminals and commercial entities the EU says participate in efforts to destabilize Europe. The list combines state actors, private firms and individuals alleged to be engaged in activities that the bloc regards as harmful to security and human rights.
Context and implications
Details released by EU member states link the MaxApp platform to FSB oversight and describe its distribution as universal across mobile devices sold in Russia. The sanctions further single out vendors of surveillance equipment whose technologies are described as enabling broad interception of electronic communications and social media activity.
The public announcement focuses on the entities and activities subject to the measures; it does not specify the operational or commercial consequences for the listed companies beyond their inclusion on the sanctions list.