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Russia Fines Facebook $50 For Failing To Comply With Local Data Privacy Law (zdnet.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the that'll-teach-em dept.

Russia is fining Facebook a whopping 3,000 rubles (approximately $47) for failing to comply with the country's data privacy law and store data of Russian Facebook users on servers located inside Russia. The fine serves as a stern warning for any social media company who thinks about violating its data privacy laws: Russia is not messing around. ZDNet reports: The legal proceedings started after a complaint from Roskomnadzor (Russia's Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media), the country's telecommunications watchdog. Roskomnadzor lodged a complaint after Facebook failed to comply with Russia's data localization legislation -- Federal Law No. 242-FZ. Adopted on December 31, 2014, the law entered into effect on September 1, 2015. According to this legislation, all domestic and foreign companies that accumulate, store, or process the data of Russian citizens must do it on servers physically located inside Russia's borders.

Russian authorities have very rarely enforced this new law. The most high-profile case remains LinkedIn, which Roskomnadzor banned in November 2016, and the site remains blocked to this day, according to Roskomnadzor's list of banned sites that local ISPs must block on their networks. Russian news agency Interfax, which broke the story earlier today, said Facebook did not represent itself in court. Interfax also reports that Twitter was fined the same sum last week.

46 comments

  1. Sounds like disagreement about the law by ZorinLynx · · Score: 1

    Within the government, that is. The judicial folks enforcing the law probably think it's bullshit, so they just apply a slap on the wrist as a way of saying "We really don't give a shit."

    Whoever lobbied to get the laws passed is probably pissed now. This will likely cause more drama going forward.

    1. Re:Sounds like disagreement about the law by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No. Facebook decided to play ball, unlike LinkedIn.

      Chances are some of Russia's enemies of the state got offed as a result of Facebook's help in the matter. Quid pro quo.

  2. No Need For A Lawyer by WankerWeasel · · Score: 3

    "Russian news agency Interfax, which broke the story earlier today, said Facebook did not represent itself in court." Well no crap. It'd cost you more to send a lawyer to show up in court for 15 minutes than it would to pay that fine.

    1. Re:No Need For A Lawyer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The 50$ fine is irrelevant. Important is that Facebook has been found guilty. Now they have to either change their behavior and store the information on servers in Russia, or the they can be blocked, like linked-in is.

    2. Re:No Need For A Lawyer by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Hey look at that, we can actually agree on something! Didn't think we'd find something we have in common, and if it's only disgust for Putin and his cronies.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  3. Obligitory by ArhcAngel · · Score: 1

    In Soviet Russia, social media something something...

    --
    "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
  4. Re: It's ok, Moscow Donald will take care of it. by DrLudicrous · · Score: 1

    Actually, Obamaâ(TM)s highest rating was 16% higher than Trumpâ(TM)s. Given your tone and inability to do even superficial research, I think itâ(TM)s safe to say you donâ(TM)t know shit from shinola.

  5. Re: It's ok, Moscow Hillary will take care of it by DrLudicrous · · Score: 0

    Yeah, selling all our plutonium mines was a bad idea. You thought there plutonium mines there for a second. Fucking idiot.

  6. Re:EU charges $Billion each time!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, but the EU is a communist state and Russia is not.

    The EU is not a state.

  7. currency conversion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    USD$50, what's that, about 50M ruples?

    1. Re: currency conversion by p91paul · · Score: 1

      RTFS!

  8. local ISPs must block on their networks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See that? ISPs must block. That is the problem with the internet today. It's too easy to block.

    1. Re:local ISPs must block on their networks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is really not hard to bypass these type of blocks. People have been going around the Great Firewall of China since it's inception. Russia has turned into a little bitch living in a fantasy world. Their politicians and media outlets lie, bluster, and obfuscate more than Trump and that is saying a lot. Today a country needs at least 2 things to claim their status of a world power. The economy and military strength. The state of California has a higher GDP than all of Russia so their economic power compared to the US and China. And they are militarily basically consist of thousands of an aging nuclear weapons which they cannot use without dooming themselves to oblivion. Their conventional forces are don't come close to the US forces arrayed around the world.

    2. Re:local ISPs must block on their networks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Once dollar crashes, and it will the moment Saudi Arabia starts selling oil in something other than dollar, what do you think will happen to US economy?

      Russians did pretty well in Syria, while "conventional" US forces only fight by throwing stacks of money at someone else to do their fighting. US has distinguished itself for the last few decades by attacking tiny weak nations, and then a decade or so later pulling out with tail between its legs. Not military's fault really, but weak and changing political will. Today US wants to do one thing, tomorrow it does a 180 and wants something opposite (ex: Taliban). Anyone in the world would be crazy to give US any kind of long term trust, the country has ADD, doesn't commit to anything.

    3. Re:local ISPs must block on their networks. by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Yes, now would you please shut up so the powers that are can continue to think that they actually have a say in what we can and cannot see? Thank you.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    4. Re:local ISPs must block on their networks. by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      As soon as anyone starts even thinking about selling oil in anything but dollars, you'll see a carrier park in front of their capital and the spin machine turn them into teh evilz of the world.

      Worked in Iraq, Iran and Venecuela (and after Iraq nobody was cocky enough to say "dare ya" anymore), will work in Saudi Arabia if needed.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    5. Re: local ISPs must block on their networks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you want to be an effective troll, learn English.

  9. Re: EU charges $Billion each time!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Did it started"

    Can you even English ?

  10. The point is authority to block by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The fine ($50) is not relevant (everyone agrees that Facebook or Twitter could pay it in a few seconds of profits). The point is that with the decision the Russian government now has the authority to place the sites on their national ISP block list whenever they want.

  11. Liability? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is paying a fine an admission of guilt? What about an acceptance of liability?

  12. Re:Putin knows: Jew control? Throttle their gold by Garen · · Score: 1

    It's time to take your meds.

  13. Re:Putin knows: Jew control? Throttle their gold by beep54 · · Score: 1

    What a ridiculous rant. Have to wonder how much damn time you wasted typing up this steaming pile of crap.

  14. Re:Putin knows! Jew control? Throttle their gold! by beep54 · · Score: 1

    Just had to do it again. I guess if you post something twice, people will be SURE to read it or something.

  15. Sounds like India by Strider- · · Score: 1

    I was once in India for work, and failed to follow through on some bureaucratic paperwork that no one told me about. Once I figured things out, and went and filled the paper work, the bureaucrat goes "Oh, Mr. Strider-, there is a fine because you failed to fill out the paperwork." "How much?" "300 Rupees" "done."

    --
    ...si hoc legere nimium eruditionis habes...
    1. Re:Sounds like India by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      This wasn't uncommon in former Soviet East Europe too. Certain import/export papers you needed were pretty much impossible to get. You could of course request them and with a few months of processing time you'd get them... or you'd simply accept the "fine" of about 10 bucks (west money, of course, payable immediately ... yeah ... right...) and suddenly the required forms miraculously appeared, pre-stamped and approved.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  16. In Soviet Facebook... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In Soviet Facebook, fines pay you!

  17. Re: It's ok, Moscow Donald will take care of it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bush had an approval rating of 90% for a short while. Still a shit president.

  18. ALL YOUR FACEBOOK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ARE BELONG TO (r)US(sia)

  19. why charge them only this much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I mean, the law has a very good standing. If data and traffic is not local, you can't enforce your own laws on it, but why charge only this much?