Russia has just said it will ban Facebook in 2018 if the social network
fails to comply with local data storage laws.
Alexander
Zharov, head of
communications regulator Roskomnadzor, was quoted by official state media
outlets saying "the law is obligatory for all. In all
cases we will make sure the law is complied with, or the company will stop
working in the Russian Federation. There are no exceptions here."
Russia's law on personal data storage came into effect in
September 2015 and It requires companies that collect the personal data of
citizens to store the information on Russian soil.
Zharov said his agency has not been in contact with
Facebook but added that the company needs to comply with the law soon.
"In 2018, we will think about it, and maybe we will check," Zharov
told state media that Roskomnadzor had received a letter from Twitter saying it
would comply with the data storage law starting in 2018.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry
Peskov said
that Facebook is a commercial enterprise earning money in Russia, and therefore
it must comply with the law.
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