“Yandex” Leaks Information About Its Users to russia’s Authorities

12/29/2025

In the first half of 2025, russian authorities sharply increased digital control over citizens. According to the report on “Yandex”’s transparency, the number of government requests for personal data of users of the company’s services reached record levels, having increased by 48 % compared to last year.

During this period, the company received tens of thousands of requests from law enforcement agencies and government bodies, and data were transferred in 42,300 cases, which is by 44 % more than last year. Most often, authorities requested information about users of “ridetech” services, such as taxis, delivery, car sharing, and electric scooters. There were 35,800 such requests, which indicates an attempt to totally monitor people’s movements and daily lives.

At this, the percentage of satisfied requests remained almost unchanged – 78 % compared to 80 % a year earlier, which means a consistently high level of cooperation between the platform and government agencies. Besides, “Yandex” received almost 14,000 requests to remove links in accordance with the law on the so-called “right to be forgotten”, of which 73 % were satisfied. This mechanism is actively used by law enforcement agencies, politicians, and businessmen in an attempt to hide embarrassing materials and journalistic investigations from the public.

In fact, the situation demonstrates a further escalation of state interference in russia’s digital space: control is tightening, privacy is shrinking, while the internet is increasingly becoming a tool for surveillance and censorship.