28 Jul 2022 16:50

Russian court orders U.S. messenger Snapchat be fined 1 mln rubles for not localizing personal data of Russian users

MOSCOW. July 28 (Interfax) - The Tagansky District Magistrates' Court in Moscow ruled on Thursday to find the United States company, Snap Inc. guilty of failing to localize the personal data of its Russian users in Russian territory, an Interfax correspondent reported from the courthouse.

"Snap Inc. has been found guilty under Russian Code of Administrative Offences Article 13.11, Part 8 (failure by an operator collecting personal data to use databases located in Russian territory while recording, systematizing, accumulating, and storing personal data of Russian citizens) and fined 1 million rubles," the magistrate said in pronouncing the ruling.

Snap Inc. is a U.S. company which owns the Snapchat mobile messenger app for sharing messages with photos and videos attached.

The Russian telecommunications watchdog Roskomnadzor said earlier that about 600 offices of foreign companies in Russia localized the storage of personal data of its Russian users, among them Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, PayPal, Booking, LG, and others.

Russia blocked the LinkedIn social network for failing to comply with the localization legislation, after the Tagansky District Court granted a relevant lawsuit from Roskomnadzor in 2016.