Russia's federal censor will require dating app Tinder to make all user correspondence available to law enforcement

Internet users in Russia will soon have someone looking over their shoulders, when they flirt online. On Monday, June 3, the federal censor added the dating app Tinder to its list of “information-dissemination organizers.” What that means in practice is that Tinder will now be required to store all user correspondence for six months and make the data available to law enforcement, upon request.

There are currently 175 different websites and online services named on Roskomnadzor's “information-dissemination organizers” list. Telegram is perhaps the most popular social network in Russia to be listed and then refuse to comply with the registry's requirements. As a result, Russian officials have tried to block the instant messenger since April 16, 2018 — mostly without success.