Legislation & regulation

From EU to Russia, lawmakers call for robot legislation

February 17, 2017

While no country currently has a law to regulate the rise of robots, a resolution passed yesterday by the European parliament calls for EU-wide legislation in this field. According to the resolution, such legislation should encompass, in particular, liability for the actions of robots including self-driving cars, and an ethical framework for robot development and deployment. However, European lawmakers rejected …

From EU to Russia, lawmakers call for robot legislation Read More

Russian lawmakers increase pressure on Internet providers to block banned sites, but users can still bypass the law

February 16, 2017

The Russian parliament has just passed a new law to set fines for Internet service providers (ISPs) who fail to restrict access to  blacklisted websites. ISPs that do not block banned sites according to the rulings of the state regulator Roskomnadzor will be required to pay up to a 100,000-ruble (approximately $1,700 at the current exchange rate) penalty. Public officials and …

Russian lawmakers increase pressure on Internet providers to block banned sites, but users can still bypass the law Read More

Russian Internet is “under martial law,” says NGO report

February 14, 2017

Agora, an interregional association of Russian civil rights NGOs set up in 2005 to bring together lawyers from regions as diverse as Tatarstan and Chuvashia in the Volga area and Chita in Siberia, has just released its annual report “Internet Freedom in 2016: Under martial law.” As reported by The Moscow Times, Agora’s report paints a bleak picture, …

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‘Google tax law’ comes into force: VAT applies to digital content and services, Uber benefits from favorable ruling

February 6, 2017

Starting January 1, foreign companies selling e-content via the Internet in Russia are required to register private offices in Russia, submit information on their sales in the country, and pay a 18% value-added tax. The tax applies to the following types of content or services: selling and giving access to e-books, audio and visual content, images …

‘Google tax law’ comes into force: VAT applies to digital content and services, Uber benefits from favorable ruling Read More

Political crowdfunding by individuals no longer allowed in Russia

January 27, 2017

On Monday, the online wallet service Yandex.Money announced that it would stop allowing online transfers of money to individuals for political purposes in order to comply with Russian election laws—a decision many see as aimed at undermining opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is using the service to crowdfund his 2018 presidential campaign. In a blog post published on Monday afternoon, …

Political crowdfunding by individuals no longer allowed in Russia Read More

New law to restrict foreign ownership of online streaming services

January 16, 2017

Last week the State Duma, Russia’s lower house or parliament, approved in the first reading a bill to limit foreign owners to take more than a 20% stake in online streaming services operating in Russia. The news was reported by the news agency Interfax. The new legislation applies to audio and video services with over …

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Russia requires Apple and Google to remove LinkedIn from local app stores

January 9, 2017

Smartphone users in Russia can no longer download the LinkedIn app on iPhone or Android devices, following a similar move in China to block The New York Times app on iPhones. The demand by Russian authorities to remove LinkedIn in Apple and Google app stores comes weeks after a court blocked the professional networking service for flouting local laws that require internet firms …

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Bitcoin legal by default in Russia, confirms new federal tax document

December 5, 2016

A document by the federal tax authority in Russia has revealed its first official stance on the legal status of cryptocurrencies and it makes for good reading for adopters of bitcoin and other digital countries in the Russian federation. The document deems trading of bitcoin and other digital currencies as foreign currency transactions according to …

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Internet “not free” in Russia, says US watchdog

November 29, 2016

Freedom House, a US-based NGO monitoring the progress or restriction of human freedoms as it perceives them around the globe, has published its most recent Freedom on the Net 2016 report, the sixth in its series. In its findings, the NGO assigns Russia the “not free” status, while the country was considered to be “partly free” and “relatively uncensored” …

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LinkedIn blocked in Russia: A welcome warning for global players?

November 29, 2016

Earlier this month the Russian telecom regulator Roskomnadzor blocked access to LinkedIn for non-compliance with recent legislation on personal data storage. EWDN chief editor Adrien Henni analyzes the significance of this move far beyond Russia’s borders.   Adopted in 2014 and applicable since September 2015, the law requires companies operating in Russia to store Russian …

LinkedIn blocked in Russia: A welcome warning for global players? Read More

Opera Software closes its Russian office, receives censorship request from state regulator

November 22, 2016

Opera Software is to close its Russian subsidiary, leaving a staff of two in the country, down from 10 currently, the Russian media have reported. The move might be part of the company’s global strategy, in which emerging markets are now less of a priority than in the past, local representative Mikhail Zaitsev told business daily Vedomosti. In addition, Opera Software’s …

Opera Software closes its Russian office, receives censorship request from state regulator Read More

Access to LinkedIn officially blocked in Russia

September 4, 2021

Since this morning, many LinkedIn users from Russia have not been able to access the site. Local Internet service providers have started to block access to the site following as requested by telecom regulator Roskomnadzor. In a short statement, Roskomnadzor cites a Moscow court decision from August, according to which LinkedIn has failed to comply with the Russian legislation on personal data storage. This initial court decision was …

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