Russian President Vladimir Putin's online advisor has declared that all social media sites operating in Russia will have to comply with Russian laws if they are to continue to operate in the country, radio station RSN reports.
Speaking on air, German Klimenko, the Kremlin's advisor on issues about the Internet and the Russian language segment of the world wide web, also known as RuNet, was asked what the conditions were for social media platforms to continue operating in Russia.
Klimenko explained that the future of social media websites depended on "whether or not they cooperate with law enforcement authorities" and comply with Russian laws.
"If they view themselves in the same way as domestic [companies], they hold the same rights and responsibilities," Klimenko said. "Not only rights but also responsibilities."
Russia's government has made numerous moves to try and regulate the Internet, with a law in place since August, demanding that companies that handle private data of Russian citizens, install servers routinely, although temporarily, on Russian soil.
While it is unclear how strictly this law will be enforced, moving company infrastructure on Russian territory would theoretically give jurisdiction to Russian police and federal security to search companies.
Roskomnadzor, the Kremlin's online watchdog, has previously taken on big sites such as Reddit and Wikipedia, banning them temporarily for alleged small violations of Russian law. Most recently, in August, the body banned Reddit for a day until a page allegedly promoting drug use was removed.
According to RSN, Roskomnadzor is going to carry out a check on the servers of VKontakte, Russia's answer to Facebook, a majority share of which is owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
I am a Staff Writer for Newsweek's international desk. I report on current events in Russia, the former Soviet Union ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
