- US federal workers must install an app powered by a Russian-based software vendor
- Security researchers discovered external code that controls parts of the government application
- Elfsight’s Russian operations continued to grow despite global geopolitical tensions
The FAA and other federal employees must now install a $1.4 million app at the White House containing code built by Elfsight, a Russian-founded vendor.
Elfsight was founded in 2016 in the Russian city of Tula by CEO Andrey Yusupov and Chief Technology Officer Vladimir Fedotov.
The company now markets itself as a European software provider headquartered in Andorra, although its original Russian unit remains active and growing.
Business ties that last
In 2025, the Russian unit reported revenue of about 126.5 million rubles, about $1.6 million, up 71% year-over-year.
The company’s headcount also grew to 61 employees, and job postings show continued hiring of Russian developers into 2026.
A job posting in 2026 sought a Moscow-based support specialist 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 government authorities.
However, an Elfsight customer support specialist claims that the company has “never received any request” from Russian authorities for user data or access.
Security review and data practices
A network analysis by security firm Atomic Computer found that Elfsight’s servers determine which JavaScript files run inside the White House app.
The same session also accepted more than ten cookies from Elfsight along with Google DoubleClick advertising domains loaded via the app’s YouTube sections.
Olivia Wales, a White House spokeswoman, said the app “does not request or collect any user locations” and called all its information “safe and secure.”
A White House official later said that Elfsight’s only remaining script loads a tax calculator inside a sandboxed webview, disconnected from cookies or files.
The official added that Elfsight passed a full safety review and is widely used by brands including UFC, FIFA, NBA and Cartier.
That same security clearance sits uneasily with records showing that Elfsight’s founders maintained accounts in sanctioned Russian banks and continued to travel to Russia.
A founder wrote in a private message that Russian tax authorities had summoned him for questioning related to a separate investment platform.
This legal exposure means that a Russian-rooted vendor still effectively controls code running in a mandatory application on federal government entities.
Since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine started in 2022, the United States and its allies have imposed sanctions on numerous Russian companies and individuals.
It remains unclear why an app with such ties to Russia was approved for use at the White House and federal government entities in the first place.
So far, neither Elfsight nor the White House has provided a clear rationale for this approval decision.
Via Nyhedsgruden
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