SORM

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SORM (Sistema Operativno-Rozysknykh Meropriyatii, literally "System of Ensuring Investigative Activity") is a Russian law passed in 1995 that allows the FSB (successor to the KGB) to monitor communications.

1 Amendments
2 See also
3 External links
- 3.1 Media

[edit] Amendments

[edit] SORM-2

In July 1998 the law was amended as SORM-2 to allow monitoring of the internet. According to some reports, under SORM-2 Russian Internet service providers (ISPs) must install a special device on their servers to allow the FSB to track all credit card transactions, e-mail messages and web use. The device, which has been estimated to cost $10,000-$30,000, must be installed at the ISPs expense. Other reports note that some ISPs have had to install direct communications lines to the FSB and that costs for implementing the required changes were in excess of $100,000.

On July 25, 2000, Russia's Minister of Information and Communications Leonid Reiman issued the order No 130 "Concerning the introduction of technical means ensuring investigative activity (SORM) in phone, mobile and wireless communication and radio paging networks" stating that the FSB was no longer required to provide telecommunications and Internet companies documentation on targets of interest prior to accessing information. ([1], full text of the order in Russian: [2])

[edit] Access by seven additional government agencies

On January 5, 2000, during his first week of office, ex-KGB agent and new Russian president Vladimir Putin amended the law to allow seven other federal security agencies access to intelligence gathered via SORM. The newly endowed agencies included:

the tax police
the interior ministry police
the Kremlin
parliamentary and presidential security guards
border patrol and customs

[edit] Notification ruling

In late 2000, a Russian supreme court ruled that the FSB was required to inform ISPs when its agents were using the system. The case was started by a complaint filed by a 26 year old St. Petersburg journalist who was fed up waiting for civil rights groups and ISPs to protest.