Russia's Tougher Conscription Law Signals Extended Conflict and Digital Control

Russia's new conscription law allows the authorities to issue call-up papers online and set up a digital database of all Russians eligible for military service, creating a state system of complete digital surveillance, coercion, and punishment. The planned digital registry will gather information about potential draftees from every possible source, and people will be penalized for failing to report to the recruitment office once a digital draft notice is issued. This legislation is the Russian state's first attempt to introduce elements of digital totalitarianism, but certainly not its last.