Legislation & regulation

Presidential advisor threatens to block Telegram for “de facto helping” terrorists

February 7, 2016

Put under pressure by the Russian authorities to put an end to the “total anonymity” of user exchanges, Telegram intends to keep its users’ personal data and communication fully confidential. The international instant messenger will not allow security agencies to access such content, stated Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov on his Vkontakte account. “We have not issued and will …

Presidential advisor threatens to block Telegram for “de facto helping” terrorists Read More

Russia looks to replace international software with domestic programs

February 7, 2016

According to a new law that comes into force on Jan. 1, Russian official bodies will no longer be allowed to use foreign software but will have to use Russian programs, and the new regulations will possibly be later extended to cover state companies. Russia Beyond The Headlines analyses this government initiative and the opportunities it …

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Putin enacts million-ruble fines on Internet search engines for failure to protect ‘right to be forgotten’

February 28, 2017

Vladimir Putin has signed into law new legislation that fines Internet search engines 1 million rubles (almost $14,000) for refusing to delete hyperlinks to an individual’s personal information, if legally requested under Russia’s “right to be forgotten.” According to the new law, Internet search engines will be required to remove links to unverified information and …

Putin enacts million-ruble fines on Internet search engines for failure to protect ‘right to be forgotten’ Read More

Russian lawmakers propose a new 18% tax on foreign-developed apps

December 30, 2015

Russian lawmakers have introduced draft legislation that would levy a tax on the purchase of content and software from foreign IT companies. In particular, the tax would apply to the App Store and Google Play online stores, where Russian customers currently pay no sales taxes. Lawmakers say the new legislation could bring in tens of …

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Russian censors consider blocking mobile apps on iOS and Android

February 9, 2016

For the first time, Alexander Zharov, the head of Roskomnadzor (Russia’s state media watchdog), floated the prospect of blocking mobile apps sold through Apple’s AppStore and Google Play. Speaking to a group about copyright law earlier today, Zharov proposed the formation of a working group to review the possibility of blocking mobile applications. Boris Edidin, …

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Chyorny Yar, the village that nearly banned Wikipedia for 140 million Russians

February 9, 2016

In July 2015, a local court in Chyorny Yar issued a countrywide ban on a Wikipedia article about charas hashish, leading to a small crisis in August, where the world’s largest encyclopedia nearly became inaccessible to more than 140 million Russians. In a special report for Novaya Gazeta, photographer Evgeny Feldman went to Chyorny Yar to capture life in …

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Russian MP proposal to block Telegram after Paris attacks garners little support

February 24, 2016

A proposal from State Duma Deputy Alexander Ageyev to block the instant messaging service Telegram in Russia following Friday’s terror attacks in Paris garnered little support on Monday. The instant messaging service was reportedly used by the terrorists. Communications Minister Nikolai Nikiforov said blocking the service because it was popular among Islamic State militants would be …

Russian MP proposal to block Telegram after Paris attacks garners little support Read More

iTunes removes “extremist” songs to comply with Russian regulator’s order

February 12, 2016

Apple’s music service iTunes has deleted songs by the groups Korroziya Metalla (Corrosion) and Tsiklon-B (Cyclon-B), which Russian courts previously recognized as extremist, according to a press release by Roskomnadzor, the Russia’s government’s media watchdog agency. On October 26, Russian censors blocked several pages of iTunes that contained music by these two bands. By removing …

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

February 27, 2017

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 …

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

Russians may order embargoed food products through foreign online stores, say customs authorities

February 12, 2016

Russian citizens are allowed to buy embargoed products from foreign online stores, the Federal Customs Service (FCS) has stated in a written answer to an inquiry from customs broker Unitrade on behalf of cross-border e-commerce platform Shopfans. In 2014, following the sanctions applied by western countries against a number of Russian individuals and businesses, Russia …

Russians may order embargoed food products through foreign online stores, say customs authorities Read More

Russia’s anti-monopoly watchdog threatens to fine Google

February 14, 2016

Russia’s anti-monopoly agency said Monday that Google Inc was abusing its market position in the country and would face penalties, in a case launched by local competitor Yandex. The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) said Google had violated the law by pre-installing certain applications on mobile devices and could face penalties totaling up to 15 percent …

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Roskomnadzor blocks first site for non compliance with personal data storage law; Apple relocates data to Moscow data center

February 15, 2017

Last week, the Russian telecom regulator blocked access to a website which it says failed to relocate data concerning Russian citizens to servers inside the country. According to a statement published on Roskomnadzor’s website, the data collected by Abonenty-chast2.pw includes full names, birthdates, home addresses, telephone numbers and work addresses of some 1.5 million Russians. The .pw domain extension corresponds …

Roskomnadzor blocks first site for non compliance with personal data storage law; Apple relocates data to Moscow data center Read More

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