Russian legislators have adopted a new bill banning servicemen from using electronic devises capable of taking photos, videos, and collecting geolocation data – basically, all modern portable gadgets.

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The bill, approved by the State Duma in the final reading on Tuesday, forbids active-duty servicemen and reservists during training from sharing on the internet or with the media any information which might disclose their location, which units they serve with, information about fellow soldiers, and so on. Apart from that, servicemen are banned from even having on themselves devices that can store and/or transmit photos, videos, and geolocation data through the internet.

The sponsors of the bill explained the need for it with an obvious observation – that military members present a special interest for foreign intelligence services and terrorist groups. Therefore, sharing personal data while on duty might be dangerous for both soldier and the entire nation alike.

Russia has been trying to improve the secrecy of its military, adopting a set of measures to restrict the flow of potentially sensitive data from soldiers. Last November, the military introduced special courses for soldiers and officers on how to behave online in order to protect state-level secrets. The training includes what should – and should not – be told to strangers, how to use social media safely and other guidance.

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