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Article: Russian Spies, They've Got Mail; Regulations Allow Security Services to Tap Into Systems of Internet Providers
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- March 7, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Nail Murzakhanov, an Internet provider in Volgograd, knew he might
lose his business license four years ago when he told the Federal
Security Service, Russia's domestic intelligence agency, that he
would not give it access to the e-mail traffic of his 1,500
subscribers.
When the Communications Ministry suspended his license for failure
to cooperate with the intelligence agency, known as the FSB,
Murzakhanov filed suit.
Surprisingly, in August 2000, he got his license back. "In the
end, I was left in peace," he said in a phone call from an office
filled with brightly colored computer games.
The standoff was surprising not so much because Murzakhanov won,
but because it occurred at all. ...