MTS Launches Geo-Data Sharing Service with Lisa Alert for Missing Persons Search

MTS and the search and rescue team «Liza Alert» have introduced a new service called «MTS.GeoSearch.» This service is designed to assist in locating missing individuals, as announced by MTS CEO Inessa Galaktionova during the CIPR conference.

The «MTS.GeoSearch» service is offered free of charge and is available to MTS subscribers who are individual consumers. Users can activate it through the MTS app under the «Protector» or «Family Group» sections. Prior consent is required to share location data and phone battery status in case of an emergency.

If someone goes missing, «Liza Alert» will be able to access GPS, Wi-Fi data, and information from the nearest cell tower. The accuracy of this data ranges from 50 to 150 meters, depending on the phone model and the density of nearby buildings.

According to Galaktionova, this is the first service allowing relatives to quickly transmit information to the search team. Geolocation will be available in real-time, and the data will be sent automatically via an encrypted channel specifically created for use with «Liza Alert.» MTS claims that this service complies with legal requirements.

«Liza Alert» was established in 2010 following a tragedy in the Orikhovo-Zuyevo area, where a four-year-old girl named Liza Fomkina and her aunt went missing in the woods. Nearly 500 volunteers participated in the search, and after nine days, their bodies were found, having died from hypothermia. This incident led volunteers to organize and form the search team. Since then, 300,000 search requests have been received, resulting in the successful locating of 260,000 individuals.

Since 2012, the operator «VimpelCom» (under the brand «Beeline») has collaborated with the search team, providing a hotline, sending SMS to volunteers, utilizing big data and artificial intelligence, and offering routers for connectivity in hard-to-reach areas.

In April 2025, Sergey Anokhin, head of «VimpelCom,» disclosed that they are discussing potential changes to the «Communications» and «Personal Data» laws with the Ministry of Digital Development and «Liza Alert». Currently, operators cannot share geolocation information without the subscriber’s consent or a court order. Anokhin stated that this limitation hinders rescue efforts in emergencies.

He mentioned that «VimpelCom» is testing a service that allows for rapid transmission of geolocation data if the SIM card is registered to the person requesting help. The company verifies the identity through its response service, with data transfer taking just a few minutes.

Additionally, the operator considered an option for subscribers to agree in advance to share their data during emergencies but abandoned the idea due to the potential risks of constant monitoring draining phone batteries, which could be critical during a search.

The company also noted ongoing discussions with regulators about the possibility of sharing geolocation data without prior consent if someone is in distress. A representative from «VimpelCom» expressed a favorable view of the launch of MTS’s service, calling it a significant development.