JAKARTA - A Russian court on Thursday, July 28 fined WhatsApp messenger Meta Platforms Inc, Snapchat's owner Snap Inc, and other foreign companies for their alleged refusal to store Russian user data domestically.
Moscow has been at loggerheads with Big Tech over content, censorship, data and local representation in a dispute that has escalated since Russia sent its armed forces to Ukraine on February 24.
Moscow's Tagansky District Court fined WhatsApp 18 million rubles (Rp 4.4 billion) for repeated offences after incurring a 4 million ruble sentence last August. WhatsApp's fine exceeds the 15 million ruble penalty awarded to Alphabet Inc's Google for repeated violations last month.
The court fined the owners of Tinder Match Group 2 million rubles, Snap and Hotels.com, which is owned by Expedia Group Inc, 1 million rubles, and music streaming service Spotify 500,000 rubles.
Communications regulator Roskomnadzor said the five companies had not provided documents confirming that the storage and processing of Russian user data took place on Russian territory in a timely manner.
The Expedia Group said in a statement that it was reviewing the court's decision, but had no further information to provide.
"However, we can confirm that Hotels.com closed its Russian point of sale on April 1, 2022, and is no longer collecting Russian user data," Expedia said. Other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Spotify closed its office in Russia last March and immediately afterward suspended its services in the country.
Russia restricted access to flagship platforms Meta, Facebook and Instagram, as well as fellow social network Twitter, soon after the conflict in Ukraine began, a move that was criticized as Russia's attempt to exert greater control over the flow of information.
Meta was found guilty of “extremist activity” in Russia and an appeal against the tag was rejected in June, but Moscow allowed WhatsApp to remain available there.
"More than 600 foreign companies have agreed to Russia's demands since the data retention law was passed in 2015," said Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of Russia's parliamentary committee on information policy, as quoted by Reuters.
"In the context of the information war with the West, we believe that this law is necessary," Gorelkin wrote on Telegram. "Only in this way can we ensure that foreign intelligence services and all kinds of fraudsters do not gain access to (the data)."
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