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Russian media watchdog still waits for Facebook’s response regarding personal data law

On September 24, Roskomnadzor handed its requirement to Facebook obliging the company to comply with the Russian law on personal data by the end of this year

© Darren Abate/Invision for Facebook/AP Images

MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS /. Russia’s Federal Supervision Agency for Information Technologies and Communications (Roskomnadzor) is still waiting for a response from Facebook regarding the social network’s readiness to comply with the law on personal data, the head of the Russia media watchdog Alexander Zharov said on Wednesday.

He was speaking at the Russian Interactive Week 2015 forum.

"So far we have not received a response from Facebook, but we hope that Facebook will do like the Viber company did when suddenly said that it had transferred personal data (of users to the servers in Russia — TASS)", he said.

"Since this social network has a large number of users and millions of our citizens use it, we will be patient but persistent. The law is harsh, but that is the law — it is obligatory for all," the head of the watchdog said.

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On September 24, Roskomnadzor handed its requirement to Facebook obliging the company to comply with the Russian law on personal data by the end of this year. The watchdog said it hoped to get a response from the network if it intends to fulfill it.

According Zharov, Facebook received the watchdog’s presentation showing how it was to act, how it could inspect companies with and without legal representation in Russia. Zharov said that Roskomnadzor was able to do check both types of companies.

The law on personal data came into force on September 1. Under the law website operators should "ensure recording, systematization, accumulation, storage, processing (updating, modification) removal of personal data of Russian citizens by using databases located on the territory of the Russian Federation."

Domain names and network addresses that fail to comply with the provisions of the law will be put on the list of infringers of rights of personal data owners.

In addition, a violation of the law will result in a fine of up to 10,000 rubles ($158) or restriction of access to a given website. When violations are removed the access will be restored.

An exception to the law is made for personal information that is transmitted in the framework of international agreements.

In August 2015 the Ministry of Communications explained that the law will not affect airline reservation systems.

In August, Zharov met with the Director of Public Policy of Facebook in Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe and Russia Mirup Thomas Christensen. The meeting’s agenda comprised a wide range of issues of cooperation of the company with the regulator in order to meet the requirements of the Russian law.

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