SerpApi.Org
Governments around the world are using more digital tools to monitor people. Supporters say these systems improve security and immigration control. Critics argue they give authorities too much power and reduce personal privacy.
Serious consequences if switched off
Russia is expanding its digital monitoring of migrants by requiring many foreign nationals to use mobile phones linked to electronic profiles that constantly share their location, reports United24Media. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service reported the new measures on June 21 and said they allow authorities to track migrants in real time.
The system is already being tested in Moscow and the surrounding region through a mobile application called Amina. According to Russia’s RuStore, the app is the official service for foreign nationals entering Moscow and the surrounding region without a visa. The store says the app has been downloaded more than four million times.
The intelligence service said users must keep location tracking switched on at all times. If the app does not send location data for three days, the person is automatically placed on a register of controlled persons.
According to the report, that status brings serious consequences. Bank cards can be blocked. Financial transactions may be stopped. The person can also face deportation.
Also read
Russia aims to build its own Starlink with hundreds of new satellites
President Ortega says Nicaragua will hold no further elections
Apps come preinstalled
The report also said Russia’s State Duma has introduced stricter rules for foreign workers. Tax authorities will send information about migrants’ earnings to the Interior Ministry every three months. Migrants must also submit yearly income declarations.
People who do not meet the required work or income rules can lose their residence permits immediately, according to the report. They would then have 15 days to leave Russia with their families.
The measures also affect children. Minors can stay in Russia only while their parents have valid work permits. Once they turn 18, they must obtain their own work permit or leave the country within one month.
Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service said the same digital system used for migrants shows that Russia already has the ability to monitor millions of people across the country in real time.
The report also pointed to broader digital controls introduced over the past year. Since September 2025, the state-backed Max messaging app has come preinstalled on all new smartphones sold in Russia. Russian regulators also removed more than 1,200 apps from Apple’s Russian App Store during 2025.
Also read
Japan’s defense minister calls for debate on nuclear weapons policy
