Russian intelligence says it collects WeChat data What does that mean

Russian counter-intelligence agents are analysing data from popular Chinese messaging and social media app WeChat to monitor people who might be in contact with Chinese spies, according to a Russian intelligence document obtained by The New York Times.

The disclosure highlights the rising level of concern about Chinese influence in Russia as the two countries deepen their relationship.

As Russia has become isolated from the West over its war in Ukraine, it has become increasingly reliant on Chinese money, companies and technology. But it has also faced what the document describes as increased Chinese espionage efforts.

The document indicates that the Russian domestic security agency, known as the FSB, pulls purloined data into an analytical tool known as “Skopishche” (a Russian word for a mob of people). Information from WeChat is among the data being analysed, according to the document.

The document offers insights into the espionage tactics of two authoritarian governments that are preoccupied with surveillance.

According to the document, the system processes detailed data on WeChat users, including account log-ins, contact lists and message archives, some of which are extracted from phones seized from people of interest to Russia’s spy hunters.

The tool is used to scrutinise the data trail of “people using the Chinese messenger WeChat to talk to representatives of the PRC intelligence services”, the document says, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China.

The exact functionality of the system is unclear. It is described in Russian as an automated data processing system that can be used in “search activities”. Intelligence agencies typically use such tools to map messenger and social network connections to spot potential spies.

The document makes clear that the FSB is particularly interested in WeChat.

The Russian security agency asks field officers to send WeChat accounts and log-ins of interest