FSB started denying foreigners entry to Russia due to deleted correspondence and feature phones
All of them were sent for additional interrogation and phone checks.
Photo: Moscow Agency
The Federal Security Service of Russia conducts "filtration checks" of foreigners at the border, examining the contents of their mobile phones. This is stated in nine court decisions, found by the publication "Ostorozhno, Novosti" (Caution, News). They concern citizens of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan who were denied entry through Moscow airports.
All of them were sent for additional interrogation and phone checks. FSB representatives claimed in court that foreigners handed over their devices voluntarily.
Among the reasons for denying entry, the special service cited YouTube viewing history, which revealed videos of preachers banned in Russia. On this basis, foreigners were categorized as "supporters of radical Islamic ideology."
The FSB also did not allow those with deleted correspondence in WhatsApp and Telegram into the country. One foreigner was turned back at the airport because he presented a feature phone at the border.
In 2025, it was reported that the FSB mass-denies entry to Ukrainians who clear photos, videos, contacts, and chats on their smartphones. Russian security forces considered the deletion of this information an attempt to "hide true political views." Russians returning to the country after a long stay abroad also spoke about interrogations and phone checks at the border.