A Moscow court said on Thursday it has fined Alphabet’s Google (GOOGL.O) 15 million rubles ($260,000) for repeatedly failing to comply with Russian law that charges technology companies with user data. needs to be localised. Also read- Google Maps is getting Nearest Traffic feature on Android
Russia has issued several fines in recent years to foreign technology companies over several breaches that critics say are Moscow’s attempt to exert more control over the Internet. Also Read – Internet Explorer Has Officially Shut Down: List Of Popular Apps And Services That Are No More
Russia has restricted access to Twitter (TWTR.N) and Meta Platform Inc’<(META.O) flagship social networks, Facebook and Instagram, but Google and its YouTube video hosting service, though under pressure, are currently under pressure. available for. Moscow particularly objected to the behavior of the Russian media of YouTube, which it has blocked. But Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, said the American company was not yet at risk of meeting the same fate. "Blocking is an extreme measure and YouTube and Google have not crossed this line of reasoning, but they are involved in an information war against Russia," Gorelkin told reporters at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Also Read – Tesla India Policy Executive Resigns After Company Stopped India Plans: Report
Moscow’s Tagansky District Court said it had imposed the fine for what it described as Google’s repeated failure to store personal data of Russian users in databases on Russian territory. Google fired some employees from Russia after Moscow sent troops to Ukraine in late February.
Photo-sharing application LikeMe was fined 1.5 million rubles for committing the first offence. Like Me could not be reached for comment. Google’s ability to pay could be hampered because its Russian subsidiary announced plans to file for bankruptcy in May after authorities seized its bank account. Read more Gorelkin said Google cannot be a global leader without operations in China and pointed to Yandex (YNDX.O), often called Russia’s answer to Google, as a viable competitor. “I’m sure Google will stay in Russia if it doesn’t cross the border,” he said.
-Reuters