Viber reportedly bows to Russian data-localization law, relocates user data to new servers

The second-most popular instant-messaging app in Russia, Viber, has begun storing Russian users’ data on servers located in Russia, the company’s Moscow representative reportedly told the newspaper Izvestia.

On September 1, a new law entered force in Russia requiring websites and businesses to store all citizens’ personal data on Russian servers. The legislation was initially supposed to come into action only in 2016, but lawmakers accelerated the process last year.

According to Elena Gracheva, Viber’s Moscow spokesperson, the company will store users’ telephone numbers and user logins, but not their messages, which she says remain on users’ devices.