4 Jun 2020 11:35

Russian Federal Bailiff Service decides on enforced recovery of fines from Facebook, Twitter for refusal to localize data

MOSCOW. June 4 (Interfax) - Russian court bailiffs have opened cases paving the way for the enforced recovery of four-million-ruble fines earlier imposed by a court on Facebook and Twitter for refusing to store the personal data of Russian users of these social networks in Russian territory.

Relevant information has been published in the databank of enforcement proceedings of the Russian Federal Bailiff Service.

According to the documents, the procedure will be carried out by employees of the federal service's department for high-profile enforcement proceedings.

Court rulings on administrative fines of 4 million rubles on Facebook and Twitter for refusing to localize personal data of their Russian users in Russian territory took effect in mid-March 2020. The 60-day term Russian law allots for paying fines has expired. Facebook has not carried out the court's decision. It is unknown whether Twitter has done so. Both companies have not replied to Interfax's relevant questions thus far.

A court fined Facebook and Twitter in spring 2019 for failing to report compliance with the Russian law stipulating that personal data of Russian users be localized in Russian territory. A magistrate's court of Moscow's Tagansky district then fined the companies 3,000 rubles.

Amendments made to the Code of Administrative Offences in December 2019 toughened liability for violating personal data storage regulations. Legal entities responsible for this offence can now be fined from 1 million to 6 million rubles, and if they commit this offence repeatedly, the size of the fine may vary from 6 million to 18 million rubles.

The LinkedIn network has been blocked in Russia for violating the personal data localization requirement. Moscow's Tagansky District Court ruled in favor of Roskomnadzor's relevant motion in 2016. Russian authorities have discussed the localization of Russian citizens' personal data in Russia with Facebook and Twitter since 2015.