Policies

Meet Vladimir Kiriyenko, the new CEO of Russia’s top Internet group VK

January 6, 2022

In mid-December VK Company, a leading Russian Internet group previously known as Mail.ru Group, appointed Vladimir Kiriyenko, the son of a top Kremlin official, as its new chief executive. The LSE-listed group controls Russia’s top social networks (VKontakte and OK) and a variety of other internet businesses. The move followed the takeover of VK by companies affiliated …

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Russia’s convenience craze shakes up healthcare

January 3, 2022

At a recent roundtable event “Digital Toolkits for Medical Projects”, the Russian Ministry for Economic Development announced that it was considering legislative measures to facilitate the testing of new technologies in healthcare. “This experimental regime for telemedicine and prescriptions will increase the availability of consultations for patients and increase the speed of medical care without the need …

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Russia to require Netflix to stream state television broadcasts

December 30, 2021

Roskomnadzor, the Russian Internet and telecom regulator, will require Netflix to offer state television channels to its Russian customers after it added the U.S.-based streaming service to its register of “audio-visual services” Tuesday. Roskomnadzor’s register, which was created in late 2020, applies to online streaming services with over 100,000 daily users and requires them to comply …

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Russia imposes record fines to Google, Meta for failing to remove banned content

December 28, 2021

On Friday last week, Russia slapped tech giants Google and Meta with penalties totaling over $125 million for repeated failure to remove banned content, the media reported. A Moscow magistrate’s court fined Google 7.2 billion rubles (around $98 million at the current exchange rate) under a legal clause that allows courts to impose between 5% and …

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US could cut off Russia’s smartphone, car imports over Ukraine invasion

December 24, 2021

The United States could hamstring Russia’s smartphone and automobile imports if Moscow invades Ukraine, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing an unnamed Biden administration official. The “unprecedented” U.S. export control measures are expected to be discussed at a White House meeting Tuesday. Washington will also reportedly closely coordinate its steps with key European and Asian partners that could be …

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From diamond to unicorn: Aysen Nikolayev, Head of Yakutia, comments on IT developments in world’s coldest region

February 3, 2022

Geographers know Yakutia (also called Republic of Sakha) for its low temperatures, commonly dipping below −35 °C in winter, its capital Yakutsk being the world’s coldest large city. Economists and businessmen are aware of its considerable wealths in terms mineral exploitation, with a focus on diamond, gold, and tin ore mining industries. But Yakutia has also engaged on the road to technology development, with notable achievements in terms …

From diamond to unicorn: Aysen Nikolayev, Head of Yakutia, comments on IT developments in world’s coldest region Read More

Preparing to Western sanctions, Belarusian banks sign up to Russia’s alternative to SWIFT

December 20, 2021

Belarusian banks are preparing for tougher Western sanctions by signing up to Russia’s alternative to SWIFT, the international financial messaging network that underpins the global banking system, Russia’s Moskovsky Komsomolets tabloid has reported. Russia’s System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS) has more than 400 domestic users — practically every licensed Russian lender — but is …

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Russia threatens to block YouTube for taking down another German RT channel

December 19, 2021

Roskomnadzor, Russia’s telecom and Internet regulator, is threatening to restrict access to YouTube after the video platform shut down yet another German-language channel run by the Russian state-controlled television network RT (Russia Today). According to a Roskomnadzor press release published on Friday, December 17, the federal censor sent a letter to YouTube’s parent company, Google, demanding that …

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VK ownership changes have both political and business motives, say Russian pundits

December 8, 2021

While the restructure in VK (ex-Mail.ru Group)’s ownership announced last week is making the Kremlin’s control over Russian social media even stronger, business motives are also involved, believe insiders.  As reported by The Bell, Sogaz is said to be the real managing partner here, even though technically speaking, the new ownership structure at VK is a diarchy with …

VK ownership changes have both political and business motives, say Russian pundits Read More

Russian state strengthens control over leading Internet group VK

December 3, 2021

Russia’s Gazprom is gaining control of VK Company, the LSE-listed Russian Internet major (previously known as Mail.ru Group), as a result of a string of deals to buy out Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov from the company. These transactions will increase state control over the group, which owns in particular the country’s leading social networks Vkontakte …

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State-owned investment corporation Rusnano struggles with “disproportionate debt”

November 29, 2021

Earlier this month Rusnano, the state-owned investment corporation set-up in 2007 to nurture nanotechnologies and related innovation, admitted it had accumulated a “disproportionate debt,” reports TheBell.io. On Friday, Nov. 19, the Central Bank ordered the Moscow Stock Exchange to suspend trading of Rusnano’s bonds, while company management were reportedly locked in debt restructure negotiations. Unsurprisingly, …

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Beyond Meat hit by Russian counter-sanctions

November 28, 2021

U.S. fake meat manufacturer Beyond Meat has fallen foul of Russia’s counter-sanctions on Western food imports, the Kommersant business daily reported Thursday. Imports of Beyond Meat’s plant-based meat alternatives have been suspended due to a dispute over whether the products violate Russia’s sweeping ban on Western agricultural products. The food embargo was introduced in 2014 in retaliation to EU …

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