Russia Accuses Facebook, Twitter of Failing to Comply With Data Laws
Russia Accuses Facebook,
Twitter of Failing to Comply With Data Laws
Social-media giants’
servers for storing Russian’s personal data must be located in Russia, says
watchdog
Facebook and Twitter could
be fined for not providing information to Russia’s communications watchdog.
By Ann M. Simmons Updated
Jan. 21, 2019 1:36 p.m. ET
MOSCOW — Russia launched
administrative action against Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. on Monday for
failing to comply with its data laws, a move that comes just days after
Facebook removed the accounts of what it said were two misinformation campaigns
based in the country.
Communications watchdog
Roskomnadzor, the federal executive body responsible for censorship in media
and telecommunications, said the social-media networks hadn’t submitted any
formal and specific plans or submitted an acceptable explanation of when they
would meet the country’s requirements that all servers used to store Russians’
personal data be located in Russia.
Roskomnadzor said it had
sent the companies a letter on Dec. 17 advising them of the need to comply with
the law and giving them 30 days to provide “a legally valid response,” Russian
news agency Interfax reported.
As such, “Today,
Roskomnadzor begins administrative proceedings against both companies,” the
watchdog said.
The move raises concern
that the social-media giants could face future restrictions or be blocked. On
Thursday, Facebook said it would expand efforts to crack down on misuse of its
service by removing some 500 pages and accounts linked to what it said were two
Russia-based misinformation campaigns.
Vadim Ampelonsky, a
spokesman for Roskomnadzor, told the television channel Russia 24 that Facebook
and Twitter could be fined for not providing information to the watchdog.
“We expect to hold them
administratively liable,” Mr. Ampelonsky said.
Representatives for
Facebook in the U.S. didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. A
Twitter spokesman said, “We don’t have a comment here.”
Russia’s law on the
storage of personal data came into force in September 2015, according to the
state-controlled news agency TASS. Last April, Roskomnadzor’s head, Aleksandr
Zharov, said the agency would check, by the end of 2018, whether Facebook was
complying. If it wasn’t, then the question would arise “about blocking the
social network,” Interfax reported.
Mr. Zharov also promised
to check Twitter for compliance with Russian legislation. According to
Interfax, the company had notified Roskomnadzor that it had started localizing
the databases of Russian citizens in the second half of 2018.
Comments
Post a Comment