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Watchdog holding dialogue on ‘localization’ law with all firms, excluding Twitch, Discord

Earlier, the list of companies obliged to open their representative offices was published

MOSCOW, February 16. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media is holding a dialogue on the ‘localization’ law with all foreign IT companies, excluding Twitch and Discord, Deputy Head of the regulator Vadim Subbotin said on Wednesday.

"I should note that we are in direct contact with almost all platforms, with two exceptions, as we currently have no direct contact with Twitch and with Discord," he said addressing an extended meeting of the State Duma’s information policy committee focused on the execution of the ‘localization’ law by foreign IT firms on Wednesday.

The watchdog is also ready to take economic and technological urging measures against violators of the ‘localization’ law, Subbotin added. "Regarding urging measures, there are economic and technological measures. Regarding technological measures, we are absolutely ready, which we demonstrated over the past year, whereas regarding economic measures, the ban on advertisements, payments, we are in serious contact with FAS [Federal Antimonopoly Service - TASS], the Central Bank of Russia on that, here I don’t see any problems either," he explained.

On July 1, 2021, the bill "On the Activities of Foreign Persons in the Information and Telecommunication Network "Internet" on the Territory of the Russian Federation" was passed. Apart from the requirement to set up a subsidiary or a representative office of a Russian legal entity starting on January 1, the law imposes a number of obligations on foreign entities. In particular, they are to post a feedback form for Russian users on their websites, register a personal account on the website of the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media in order to cooperate with the authorities, install a recommended visitor counter on the information resource (the list of recommended visitor counters has been defined by the watchdog). Foreign entities must also restrict access to information that violates Russia’s legislation.

The Russian telecom and mass media watchdog has published the list of companies obliged to open their representative offices, with Google (Google Play, YouTube, YouTube Music, Google Chat, Gmail), Apple (iCloud, App Store, Apple Music), Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Twitter, TikTok, Telegram, as well as Zoom, Viber, Spotify, Likeme Pte.Ltd. (Likee), Discord, Pinterest and Twitch among them. Apple and Spotify have already opened their representative offices in Russia.

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