Patients critical of Russia virus tracking app

In an effort to contain the coronavirus, authorities in Moscow have implemented strict digital control measures that critics say have unfairly fined residents who haven't violated any laws.

When Vladimir Perevalov isolated himself at home after experiencing coronavirus symptoms, he made a point of following all of the regulations adopted by the city authorities.

He called his local hospital to update them on his symptoms and receive a test for the coronavirus; he didn't leave the apartment; and he downloaded and installed the Social Monitoring app on his smartphone - the app the Moscow authorities designed to keep track of coronavirus patients quarantining at home.

The idea behind it is simple: the app tracks one's location through GPS coordinates and sends push notifications at random times, requiring users to take selfies that prove they're at home. If the app detects the user leaving the apartment, a fine of about 56 US dollars is issued.

Despite saying that he had diligently taken selfies as required by the app and never left his house, Perevalov later discovered that he had received three fines at the end of his quarantine.

"At first I was confused, because I couldn't understand why I had received the fines. I didn't even know that such fines exist", he said.

"Then I thought: 'Why is this happening? I haven't even left my apartment.'"

Moreover, Perevalov says he still hasn't received notification for why he had been issued the fines and says all attempts at contacting the authorities to protest them have been ignored.

According to the testimonies of dozens of Moscow residents, his story is far from unique.

It is not the first time authorities in Moscow, where 183,000 confirmed coronavirus infections account for almost half of Russia's caseload of 414,000, have turned to widely criticised tools in an effort to curb the coronavirus outbreak.

In February, when Russia reported two virus cases, city officials ordered police raids and authorised the use of facial recognition technology to track down Chinese nationals remaining in Moscow.

In April, Moscow City Hall introduced a system of passes in order to control the movement of people within Russia's capital, which prompted crowds of people queuing at metro stations in close proximity to each other.

Social Monitoring was rolled out in early April, for mandatory use by people infected with the virus or quarantining at home. The requirement to install the app was included in quarantine notifications medical workers have patients sign, but no details on how to use it or what can lead to a fine is usually provided.

Within over a month, Moscow authorities handed out an overwhelming amount of 54,000 fines - each worth roughly 56 US dollars, a total of 3 million US dollars - among the app's almost 70,000 registered users.

Authorities insist the fines are justified and have been issued to people who repeatedly violate quarantine regulations, but those who received the fines say the app is mired in glitches and flaws, and fines are handed out randomly and arbitrarily.

Another high-profile case involved Irina Karabulatova, a bed-ridden university professor who hasn't left her apartment in a year and was issued two fines for not installing the app.

After her story made national headlines, her fines were cancelled and officials apologised to her.

"They only cancelled my fines because journalists stepped up for me as I have physical documents that prove that I objectively couldn't have made (the violations)", Karabulatova said.

"But what is going to happen to all the other is a big question", she added.

Outrage mounted as more stories of arbitrary fines mushroomed on social media.

By the end of May, Moscow authorities received over 2,500 complaints contesting the fines, and more than 200 lawsuits have been registered by Moscow courts.

Three online petitions demanding to abolish the app gathered over 94,000 signatures.

Contesting fines so far has proved largely unsuccessful, said Leonid Solovyov, a lawyer with the Apologia Protesta legal aid group who currently works with over 100 people fined in relation with the Social Monitoring app.

What makes it more difficult is that those who received the fines have to provide proof that they didn't do anything wrong, while authorities are basing the fines merely on the flawed data from the app, the lawyer pointed out.

"Some fines are indeed being overruled, but the more I look, the more I see that that's mostly done for show in the most scandalous cases", Solovyov said.

In late May, the City Hall announced that it was cancelling 468 fines for failing to take a selfie with the app, because in these cases the app requested selfies during night time.

But human rights activists say that on top of triggering arbitrary fines, Social Monitoring intrudes into its users' privacy by gaining access to their geolocation and cell phone data.

Tanya Lokshina, Associate Director for Human Rights Watch's Europe and Central Asia division, said that the mobile tracking app sets a dangerous precedent.