Youtube, Google, Facebook, Telegram will be required to open offices in Russia
Large IT corporations did not dare to comment on the news that a bill on the mandatory opening of official representative offices of large IT companies in Russia has been submitted to the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin wrote about this on his Telegram channel, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“Apparently because there is nothing to say against this initiative. A civilized solution to the issue is proposed, consistent with international practice and rules already established in a number of countries. It is unlikely that the West would have missed the chance to accuse us of “another attack” on democracy, rights and freedoms, if there had been at least something in the bill that could be found fault with.
Russia offers the “guest”, who has settled well in our country and earns a lot of money, to live and answer according to Russian laws, and not according to its “charter” hidden in one of the Western or other capitals,” Volodin wrote.
He believes that “foreign companies had the opportunity to take the path of self-regulation,” but they refused it.
According to him, the new law will primarily affect Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Google, YouTube, WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, WorldOfTanks.
“The list is open,” Volodin concluded.
According to the law submitted to the State Duma, international IT companies with a daily audience of more than 500 thousand Russian users will have to open representative offices in Russia. These representative offices will have to fully represent the interests of the parent companies and will become the main channel of interaction with the Russian regulator.
For refusing to comply with this law, IT companies will face a ban on advertising, a restriction on accepting funds from Russians, a ban on search results, a ban on the collection and transfer of personal data abroad - and complete blocking.
The law will come into force on January 1, 2022.
For the Russian authorities, an example is the successful experience of Turkey, a country that has recently demonstrated an independent policy.
Last November, Turkey fined Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Periscope, Youtube and TikTok 10 million Turkish lira ($1,18 million) each for failing to appoint representatives in Ankara, as required by a new law that came into effect. from October 1.
The fines were introduced after the network giants were only two days late in complying with the law.
Subsequently, if they failed to comply with the requirements of the Turkish side within 30 days from the date of notification of the first fine, the companies were threatened with new sanctions of 30 million Turkish liras. And then – traffic limitation from 50 to 90%.
As a result, in mid-December it became known that Youtube decided to appoint a representative of the platform in Turkey, as required by the new Turkish law on social networks. According to Youtube’s statement, the company will be represented in the republic by a legal entity.
English version :: Read in English: YouTube, Google, Facebook, and Telegram will be required to open offices in Russia.