'Dutch PM, Olympic athletes' internet traffic will be monitored by Russia'

DutchNews.nl, Friday 31 January 2014

(NOS/EPA)

The Russian authorities will monitor and store data communication details from foreign athletes, journalists and official delegations during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, according to research by Dutch news website De Correspondent.

The website says Russian prime minister Dimitri Medvedev signed the decree approving the surveillance last November in great secrecy.

The decree implies Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, sports minister Edith Schippers and the king and queen could have their communications stored for up to three years, the website says.

Brussels

The European Commission is aware of the situation and expects member states to inform the people concerned, De Correspondent said.

In the Netherlands this has not happened. Yesterday, however, two sentences were added to the official travel advice for Russia.

One states ‘be aware that Russian law allows all data traffic (telephone, email, internet etc) which is transmitted over the Russian communications network to be monitored, kept and analysed.’

The technology available in Sochi means not only meta data - who phoned who and when - can be monitored but actual conversations and emails can been analysed as well, De Correspondent said.