London police halt use of software tied to alleged Russian control

September 30, 2026 at 04:13 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

London's Metropolitan Police has stopped using Oxygen Forensics software while it reviews alleged hidden Russian ownership. The US Justice Department alleges the company concealed Russian control and development links, but does not claim malware or unauthorized access. Oxygen tools appeared in EU-funded projects and law-enforcement systems across several European countries.

Key Facts

The Metropolitan Police paused its three-year contract with Oxygen Forensics, which began in December 2023.
The US Justice Department alleges Oxygen Forensics was controlled by Russian national Oleg Davydov and four other Russians.
Oxygen technology featured in at least two EU-funded projects: the €1.9 million EVIDENCE project (2014–2016) and INSPECTr.
Romania has halted or discontinued Oxygen products following the US charges.
Oxygen's software accounted for less than 0.2% of the Met's digital-forensics activity over the previous year.

US Criminal Case

The US Justice Department alleged last week that Oxygen Forensics was actually controlled by Russian national Oleg Davydov and four other Russians. The Russians also owned a Moscow company, MKO, which counted the FSB – Russia's secret police – among its customers. US prosecutors have not claimed that Oxygen's software contained malicious code or that it was used to obtain unauthorized access to customers' systems or data. The allegation is that the owners concealed Russian ownership and development links.

European Footprint

Documents uncovered by Politico highlight the company's extensive European footprint. Oxygen technology featured in at least two EU-funded projects designed to improve the collection and exchange of electronic evidence in criminal investigations. The €1.9 million EVIDENCE project, which ran from 2014 to 2016, lists Oxygen Forensics among companies consulted as researchers developed a framework for exchanging digital evidence across Europe. A second EU-backed project, INSPECTr, developed technology allowing evidence extracted using tools – including Oxygen Forensics – to be imported, correlated and analyzed alongside data from other forensics systems. Romania has halted or discontinued Oxygen products following the US charges.

Met Police Response

The Metropolitan Police told The Times on Tuesday that it has stopped using the software, under a three-year contract with Oxygen that began in December 2023. A spokesperson added that it was conducting a review into the matter, but believes the impact on ongoing investigations will be extremely limited. The London force added that the software was used on the Met's closed IT system and accounted for less than 0.2% of the force's digital-forensics activity over the previous year.