Google is facing a fine of up to 6 mln rubles ($82,000) for refusing to localize the data of its Russian users in accordance with legislation currently in force, a source in the Justice of the Peace of Court No. 422 in Moscow’s Tagansky District, which received the respective files told TASS.
"The court received a protocol regarding Google under Part 8 Article 13.11 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses [breaching Russian personal data laws]. The date of the hearing has not been set yet. The maximum punishment for legal entities is 6 mln rubles," the source said.
Should Google be found guilty, the penalty for refusing to localize databases of Russian users in the Russian Federation will become the first for the Silicon Valley-based tech giant.
Earlier, the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media told TASS that Google, Facebook, Twitter and other social media giants had not localized the personal databases of Russian users by July 1, 2021. An administrative protocol against Google was drawn up due to the violation of laws on the localization of databases in Russia, the watchdog added. It also expects a reply from Facebook and Twitter, "after which the issue of initiating administrative proceedings will be decided on".
Meanwhile, the regulator noted that "as of today around 600 representative offices of foreign companies in Russia have localized the storage of personal data of Russian users".
