Moldova investigates the leak of its citizens’ data to Russia via Yandex

The Government of Moldova has officially announced the launch of a large-scale investigation into the activities of technology company “Yandex” over threats to national security and the risk of unauthorized transfer of Moldovan citizens’ personal data to servers in Russia. Source: Radio Liberty

The authorities’ response was prompted by a high-profile investigation by the Moldovan service of Radio Liberty, which exposed offshore financial schemes involving the Yandex Go service and the covert transfer of information about passengers and drivers. The government’s official statement emphasizes that, given the platform’s enormous popularity, the state is obliged to investigate potential risks associated with the unauthorized collection, storage, and processing of personal data.

A journalistic investigation and analysis of court case materials revealed that revenues of around $7.8 million generated by the Yandex Go app in Moldova were transferred directly to bank accounts in Dubai (UAE) and Kazakhstan as payments for subscriptions and rides, without taxes being paid to the Moldovan treasury. In addition, Yandex repeatedly refused to provide the Moldovan authorities with lists of drivers and user data. In 2025, the Competition Council of the Republic of Moldova fined the company’s Dutch subsidiary, MLU BV. In response, the company told the court that the data had allegedly been destroyed, but the judges were not convinced by this claim.

Experience in Europe shows that “Yandex” collects scans of driver’s licenses, contact details, account numbers, real-time geolocation, ride histories, correspondence, and personal photos. In the Netherlands, MLU BV was fined $112 million for similar violations, while Latvia and Estonia completely banned Yandex Go back in 2022.

Moldova’s Government Council for the Review of Strategic Investments gave “Yandex” 20 days to disclose its ultimate beneficial owners and stop transferring data to Moscow. The authorities openly warned that the investigation could result in the confiscation of assets and a complete ban on the apps in the country.

Recall that Yandex “leaked” a record amount of Russians’ personal data to the state.