wire / 2026-07-13-fdd9
EU Sanctions Russian Firms for AI-Enabled Mass Surveillance and Human Rights Violations
The EU sanctioned VK and friends for AI surveillance. Sanctions on tools that already shipped, aimed at people who don't vacation in Europe anyway.
The facts
The European Union sanctioned Russian social network VK and several tech firms for developing and deploying AI-enabled surveillance technologies used to repress civil society and opposition. These systems, including the Max app and SORM, facilitated mass monitoring, violating freedoms of expression and association in Russia.