Russian security agencies have launched a large-scale campaign to suppress the leaking of sensitive internal information. The initiative targets both journalists attempting to buy classified materials from law enforcement officers and the broader black market for personal data, including services that offer access to government databases.
At the same time, authorities are intensifying efforts against the so-called “corporate probiv” market — closed B2B services that sell access to personal data of Russian citizens, often derived from leaks within the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) and other government agencies. According to sources cited by Nezygar, this campaign was initiated by the Russian Security Council. Its primary goal is to crack down on internal data leaks and reduce the influence of private players, especially those connected to current or former MVD personnel.
Targeting Solaris and the Shadow Data Market
One of the first high-profile targets of this campaign was Solaris, one of the oldest and most well-known B2B “probiv” platforms. The service was taken offline just a day before news broke of a criminal case against its alleged owner, Kirill Mironov.
As journalist Andrei Zakharov wrote on his channel, Solaris had been operating since the mid-2010s as a closed-access service, available only to vetted clients such as corporate security departments, banks, debt collection agencies, and private investigators. It aggregated both open-source data (e.g., from Russia’s corporate registry) and leaked information, including material similar to that used by the “Eye of God” tool. In some cases, Solaris reportedly received data directly from state databases — for instance, regular uploads from “Rozysk-Magistral,” an MVD tracking system that logs citizen movements.
In 2021, Solaris was even purchased officially: Norilsk Nickel acquired access to the system, a practice that was far from unusual. Many such B2B platforms were run by ex-security officials or maintained close ties with government entities — for example, Cronos or Vitok-OSINT, a product of Norsi-Trans, Russia’s largest provider of equipment for SORM (System for Operative Investigative Activities).
But the rules of the game are now changing. Since late 2024, the creation of such services has become a formal basis for launching criminal investigations. The FSB has tightened control over the market, where former MVD officers continue to play a prominent role. According to some analysts, this may be a response to the MVD’s recent attempt to gain direct access to SORM — a domain traditionally monopolized by the FSB.
Tensions Between the FSB and Interior Ministry Over SORM Access
Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev tried to push the issue via the Presidential Administration and the Prosecutor General’s Office by introducing administrative penalties for searching prohibited information online. This, in theory, could have justified granting the police broader access to SORM and other surveillance systems. One proposed mechanism involved establishing liability for searching “extremist” content on the internet.
Meanwhile, within the Security Council, officials have been closely studying the Belarusian model and reportedly see it as a potential blueprint. As one source put it, “No one in the security services is against the police fighting sedition — but that shouldn’t give them the right to undermine the FSB’s monopoly on operational surveillance.”
In response, the FSB launched a sweeping crackdown on the B2B data market, where current and former police officers remain heavily involved. Friction between the two agencies — the FSB and the MVD — has also fueled a broader debate over the political ramifications of penalizing information searches.
“There’s a misconception that the FSB was behind the initiative to introduce administrative fines for data searches,” one source explained. “But in fact, the idea came from the Kremlin, not the FSB.”
Public Backlash and Final Outcome
The proposal sparked public criticism from prominent figures, including State Duma deputy Pavel Krasheninnikov and Senator Andrei Klishas, as well as representatives from the Communist Party and the “New People” faction. Senators Lyudmila Narusova and Valentina Matvienko were particularly vocal in opposing the measure. The matter was even raised at the presidential level.
As a result, Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov was granted broader powers as an arbiter in the dispute. According to insiders, the MVD is unlikely to receive access to SORM, while the FSB is expected to tighten its grip on both the leak investigation market and the B2B personal data sector.
In short, the FSB is now leading a purge of the information-access business — a sector long dominated by law enforcement veterans — solidifying its control over Russia’s digital surveillance architecture.
