Facebook, Google, Twitter must comply with Russia's data storage law or face sanctions

Himanshu Arora

Posts: 902   +7

In the wake of Snowden's revelations, Russia enacted a new law in July requiring all Internet companies conducting business in the country to store Russian citizens’ personal data in local data centers.

Today, Russia's media watchdog Roskomnadzor has sent notifications to Google, Facebook and Twitter, demanding they register as what the agency calls "organizers of information distribution", which means that they must store Russian users' data (including metadata) on servers located inside the country.

In addition, the companies have also been asked to comply with the bloggers law, which specifies that any website with more than 3,000 daily visitors will be considered a media outlet, and hence will comply with a strict set of requirements including avoidance of “extremist calls”, hate speech, slander, and obscene language. The law also says that the website will be responsible for the accuracy of the information published.

Google, Facebook, and Twitter "must make a decision about placing their data centers in Russia, and about the law on bloggers", said Maxim Ksenzov, deputy chief of the Roskomnadzor, adding that if the companies fail to do so, they will be subjected to administrative sanctions.

While Ksenzov did not elaborate any further on what kind of sanctions Russia may apply, Sergei Kopylov, who is the head of legal services at Russia's domain name registration center, said the media watchdog has the right to blacklist those platforms that fail to comply.

If implemented properly, the law would also benefit the commercial data storage market in Russia, that may reportedly reach about $550 million this year. The news comes just a few weeks after there were reports that Google is considering moving Russian users' personal data to servers inside the country.

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I agree with it. When in Russia do as the Russians, respect and abide by their laws. You don't march into another country and run roughshod all over it trying to enforce your terms & conditions (unless you're hankering to spark a war that is).
P.S. No. I'm not Russian, I'm retired so I'm not rushin' anywhere.
 
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It's a cloud for crying out loud. Russians want the data there so they can access it. The primary goal of these laws/regulations are to squash free speech, and intimidate those who criticize Putin.
 
It's a cloud for crying out loud. Russians want the data there so they can access it. The primary goal of these laws/regulations are to squash free speech, and intimidate those who criticize Putin.

Not sure what news you've been reading/hearing, but the Russian people support Putin.
 
Uh Skid, how exactly are these companies "Marching into" Russia? Users from the country are coming out to them. Why should a tech company bend over backwards because a country gets butthurt?
 
Ok so if I understand correctly, if I have a web site and one person from Russia buy something then I need to have his/her data store in a server there??
 
Guest said:
Ok so if I understand correctly, if I have a web site and one person from Russia buy something then I need to have his/her data store in a server there??

If you are operating a website in Russia, then yes, you have to comply with their laws.
 
RustyTech said:
OneSpeed said:
It's a cloud for crying out loud. Russians want the data there so they can access it. The primary goal of these laws/regulations are to squash free speech, and intimidate those who criticize Putin.
Not sure what news you've been reading/hearing, but the Russian people support Putin.
Indeed. Even vocal Russian critics of Putin support him as well.
 
It's a cloud for crying out loud. Russians want the data there so they can access it. The primary goal of these laws/regulations are to squash free speech, and intimidate those who criticize Putin.

Not sure what news you've been reading/hearing, but the Russian people support Putin.

And the German people supported Hitler. The Russian government has gotten more and more controlling over the years, most media outlets cannot even talk negative about the government. It definitely reminds me of the old soviet union.

I haven't been to russia recently but I can say that their actions lately don't put them in a positive light, especially when you have an exhibitionist like putin in power.
 
It's a cloud for crying out loud. Russians want the data there so they can access it. The primary goal of these laws/regulations are to squash free speech, and intimidate those who criticize Putin.

Not sure what news you've been reading/hearing, but the Russian people support Putin.

And the German people supported Hitler. The Russian government has gotten more and more controlling over the years, most media outlets cannot even talk negative about the government. It definitely reminds me of the old soviet union.

I haven't been to russia recently but I can say that their actions lately don't put them in a positive light, especially when you have an exhibitionist like putin in power.

I met a gentleman recently (from Russia) who is in the process of getting his green card in the States. When I made a joke about the Soviet Russian government never dying, he laughed and said "The Soviet government influence has never died, it's the same re-branded system as it always has been. Putin isn't crazy. He knows his limits with the United States right now. He's very smart."

It's always interesting to hear from the inside perspective.
 
There are many news outlets on the web where real news can be obtained, yet it seems that many choose to be spook-fed the bias that's coming from certain top new stations. While many believe that Putin is a dumb, the Russian government is developing their relations with the other parts of the world that would allow them to be completely self-sufficient. An example of this can be seen from the retaliatory sanctions Russia has placed against the West.
This is a good time to tread carefully.
 
In the age of cloud resources... It's the same logic used in labor. So why don't they prohibit USA from manufacturing products in Asia, and demand their own factories to produce in USA? Countries are demanding that so their internal data storage industry grow and they get better control over citizens data... I trust my personal data more on a international company than my own country's gov. And the startups and little services? How are they supposed to maintain international user base that way?

Brasil had this proposition on it's Internet Bill too, thankfully it had been took out. It's pure garbage.
 
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