- U.S. federal workers must install app powered by Russian-founded software vendor
- Security researchers discovered external code that controls parts of the government application
- Russian Elfsight operations continued to grow despite global geopolitical tensions.
The FAA and other federal employees must now install a $1.4 million White House application that contains code created by Elfsight, a vendor founded in Russia.
Elfsight was founded in 2016 in the Russian city of Tula by CEO Andrey Yusupov and CTO Vladimir Fedotov.
The company now markets itself as a European software provider based in Andorra, although its original Russian entity remains active and growing.
Business ties that persist
In 2025, the Russian entity reported revenues of around 126.5 million rubles, approximately $1.6 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 71%.
The company’s workforce also increased to 61 employees, and job postings show that Russian developers will continue to be hired until 2026.
A 2026 job posting sought a support specialist based in Moscow, offering between 60,000 and 100,000 rubles per month for full-time work.
Under Russian law, companies that handle user data may be forced to store that data locally and hand it over to state authorities.
However, an Elfsight customer support specialist says the company has “never received any requests” from Russian authorities for user data or access.
Review of security and data practices.
A network analysis by security firm Atomic Computer found that Elfsight servers determine which JavaScript files are executed within the White House application.
The same session also accepted more than ten Elfsight cookies, along with Google DoubleClick advertising domains loaded through the YouTube sections of the app.
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said the app “does not request or collect any user locations” and called all of their information “safe and secure.”
A White House official later said that the only remaining Elfsight script loads a tax calculator within a protected web view, disconnected from cookies or files.
The official added that Elfsight passed a full safety review and is widely used by brands such as UFC, FIFA, NBA and Cartier.
That same security clearance contrasts with records showing that Elfsight’s founders maintained accounts in sanctioned Russian banks and continued to travel to Russia.
One founder wrote in a private message that he had been summoned for questioning by Russian tax authorities linked to a separate investment platform.
That legal exposure means that a Russia-based vendor still effectively controls the code that runs inside a mandated app on federal government devices.
Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in 2022, the United States and its allies have imposed sanctions on numerous Russian companies and individuals.
It is unclear why an app with such ties to Russia was authorized for use on White House and federal government devices in the first place.
So far, neither Elfsight nor the White House have offered a clear justification for that approval decision.
Via The Newsground
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