As you know, I spent most of a decade in predominantly Moscow, beginning in 1991.
Lots of pertinent info there...
As backdrop to the experience I am going to shed light on, it needs to be understood, within the framework of the Russian Federation and subordinate CIS, the Russian government requires controlling interest in ALL corporations, trusts, and business ventures. As well, this is reciprocal to the CIS
As well, they determine and “sign off” on all parameters related to the investment. Lots of shocking examples here, including violence, but not the point of this.
Years ago, there were a half dozen times I walked in to pay for our “private” internet service. (We sought to try and help *Russian internet startups), where the internet startup company had a large room, and the room would be full of FSB reading communications and going through everyone’s visit history and *email accounts.
Being the doofus I was, I walked up to a desk, and asked the guys going through everyone’s personal accounts if they could show me one of my personal accounts — not only did they, they had already gone through it, and were monitoring that specific hotmail account!
They thought it was funny.
This may sound far out there, but in 1997, I went to pay our private account, and walked into an office full of FSB (again), and noticed a couple of screens with little ol FreeRepublic —
They weren’t even trying to hide it. They just smiled and went back to whatever they were looking for, *or working on.
This incident was in late 1997.
Totally anecdotal again, I know...
Interesting. But not surprising.