Russian court fines Twitter and Facebook 62,840 dollars each for refusing to localize user data

A Moscow district court has fined Twitter and Facebook 4 million rubles ($62,840) each for refusing to store Russian users’ data on servers located inside Russia. According to the news agency RIA Novosti, the two American tech giants faced fines as high as 6 million rubles ($92,260) for noncompliance with Russia’s data-localization requirements.

Russia's federal media regulator, Roskomnadzor, first ordered Twitter and Facebook to localize Russian users' data in 2018. After the companies responded with formal letters questioning the regulations, the Russian authorities fined the two services 3,000 rubles (about $50) each for failing to share user data with local law enforcement.

In 2016, the Russian authorities blocked the business and employment-oriented service LinkedIn for refusing to localize Russian users’ data.