Roskomnadzor, the Russian telecom and Internet regulator, initiated today a lawsuit against Twitter for failing to provide information about its compliance with the Russian data-localization law. The US microblogging platform is now facing an administrative fine of 5,000 rubles ($764 at the current exchange rate).
Ultimately Twitter, should it violate the law, could be blocked in Russia – as was the case with LinkedIn in 2016 following two court decisions.
Adopted in 2014 and applicable since September 2015, this law requires companies operating in Russia to store Russian users’ or clients’ personal data on servers physically located in the country. Numerous foreign and domestic players were concerned, including global players who tended to store their users’ data in borderless clouds (see white paper by EWDN and EY).
While many businesses — including Alibaba, AliExpress, Apple, and Google — have managed to transfer user data from foreign data centers to Russia, others refused or failed to comply.
Last month, on Dec. 18, Roskomnadzor formally required Twitter and Facebook — which so far had sent both positive and negative signals on the matter — to provide within 30 days substantive information on their compliance with the law.
The two companies did send answers on Jan. 18, but Roskomnadzor judged them to lack “concrete elements on factual compliance with the law or deadlines to apply its provisions in the future.”
