MOSCOW, January 25. /TASS/. Google, an American technology company specializing in internet-related services, has admitted that Crimea’s territorial status may not be always displayed correctly on its maps for some users in Russia but reiterated that its local version complies with Russia’s laws.
On Thursday, speaker of the Russian State Duma lower parliament house Vyacheslav Volodin handed down instructions to summon a Google representative to the parliament after a lawmaker had said that Crimea was featured on Google maps not as part of Russia. Later, chairman of the State Duma information policy committee Leonid Levin said that a company representative had contacted him to confirm that when accessing Google maps from Russia, Crimea was displayed as a Russian region.
"A small number of users of Google maps can see some incorrect information," the company’s press service told TASS when asked to comment on the situation. "We do our best to show data correctly when disputed territories are in question. When we have a local version of maps, we always comply with the local laws."
Commenting on this statement, Levin said that it was "extremely important that Google is monitoring operation of its software to correct technical mistakes and checks it against the laws and rules existing in the Russian jurisdiction."
"The State Duma information policy and security committees will continue to keep an eye on the company’s compliance with Russian laws," he pledged.
The Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, a city with a special status on the Crimean Peninsula, where most residents are Russians, refused to recognize the legitimacy of authorities brought to power amid riots during a coup in Ukraine in February 2014.
Crimea and Sevastopol adopted declarations of independence on March 11, 2014. They held a referendum on March 16, 2014, in which 96.77% of Crimeans and 95.6% of Sevastopol voters chose to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the reunification treaties on March 18, 2014. The documents were ratified by Russia’s Federal Assembly, or bicameral parliament, on March 21.
Despite the absolutely convincing results of the referendum, Ukraine, the United States and the European Union have been refusing to recognize Crimea as a part of Russia.