Lithuania reviews Belarusian businessman’s residency after app security investigation
Lithuania’s Migration Department stated Thursday it has asked the State Security Department to reassess whether Belarusian businessman Andrei Shimanovich poses a threat to national security.
The department said the move was prompted by an investigation by Buro and OCCRP, which found that apps marketed as Lithuanian products were developed and maintained in Belarus, and that some sent user data to services in Belarus and Russia.
Shimanovich did not respond to a request for comment. His company did not reply to an email, while calls to numbers associated with his relatives and companies went unanswered.
The department said it will also ask the National Cyber Security Center and Criminal Police Bureau to examine applications linked to Shimanovich, including their code, possible security vulnerabilities and whether they could be malicious.
“After receiving all necessary information from other state institutions, the Migration Department will decide on the legal status in Lithuania of the foreigner named in the publication,” the department said.
Shimanovich has held a Lithuanian temporary residence permit as a startup founder since 2023, according to Buro.
The joint Buro and OCCRP investigation revealed that the mobile applications presented as Lithuanian products appeared to have been developed and supported by Mobyrix, a Belarusian company owned by Shimanovich. Technical analysis indicated that some of the apps sent data to services in Belarus and Russia, raising concerns for users including exiled Belarusian activists.
The apps include Nicegram, downloaded more than 50 million times, and eSIM Plus, downloaded more than one million times. Their listed developer is Shimanovich’s Lithuanian company Appvillis, but investigators found code and other technical links connecting the products to Mobyrix.
Technology & Business Editor
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