Support The Moscow Times!

After Blocking Telegram, Russian Regulator Sets Its Sights on Facebook

Alexander Zharov Anton Novoderzhkin / TASS

Russian regulators have reminded Facebook that the social network could face bans this year if it fails to comply with the country’s local data storage legislation.

Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor has had Facebook in its crosshairs since last year for failing to comply with a 2015 law requiring tech firms to store Russian citizens’ personal data on local servers. The same law forced LinkedIn, a social platform for professionals, to cease operations in Russia, costing it an estimated 40 percent of its Russian user base.

A day after Roskomnadzor began blocking the popular Telegram messaging service, the regulator’s head Alexander Zharov told the pro-Kremlin Izvestia daily that Facebook could be next.

“We will inspect the company by late 2018 […] Obviously, the blocking question will come up” if Facebook fails to meet the regulator’s requirements, Zharov was cited as saying.

“They’re already way behind,” he warned.

Zharov said last year that Twitter, another popular social media platform, had agreed to transfer its Russian users’ data to servers in the country by mid-2018. 

A Moscow court ruled last week to ban Telegram in Russia over its refusal to provide security services with keys to decrypt private conversations. 

Internet providers began to impose the ban on Monday.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more