Creator of ‘My Denunciation,’ Russian parody app for informing on neighbors, says 1,000 users have submitted serious reports

Russian Internet users have submitted more than 5,000 denunciations against their neighbors and acquaintances on a parody app called My Denunciation, according to the Telegram channel Mozhem Obyasnit, which was given access to the app’s database by its creators.

According to the channel, an IT worker created My Denunciation in 2018 but deleted it after several months after it failed to gain traction. In January 2023, the app, whose logo resembles that of the Russian government services portal Gosuslugi, returned to Google Play.

Despite the fact that the app’s official description says it’s unaffiliated with the Russian authorities and is meant to be used for entertainment purposes only, many users have failed to realize it’s a parody.

According to Mozhem Obyasnit, roughly 1,000 of the 5,000 reports submitted through the app were serious denunciations that included detailed descriptions of the “perpetrators’” actions as well as their personal information and links to their social media accounts. The outlet noted that many of the reports could serve as grounds for criminal charges under Russia’s laws against “disinformation” or “discrediting” the Russian army.

The app’s developer said he has no plans to submit the denunciations to any third parties.