Russian court fines Google $260,000 for breaching data rules

A court in Russia has fined America’s Google 15 million roubles ($260,000) for repeatedly failing to comply with a Russian law demanding technology companies to localize user data.

Tagansky District Court in Moscow said on Thursday it had imposed the fine for what it described as Google's repeated failure to store the personal data of Russian users in databases on Russian territory, Reuters reported.

The American company moved some employees out of Russia after Moscow launched its special operation in Ukraine in late February, following Kiev’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements and Moscow’s recognition of the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced one objective of the Russian campaign in neighboring Ukraine was what he described as a “special military operation” to “de-Nazify” Ukraine.

Russia has fined several foreign technology companies, mostly American, in recent years over a number of infringements.  

Moscow has restricted access to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but Google and its YouTube video hosting service remain available for now, according to Reuters.

Russia particularly objects to YouTube's blockage of Russian media.  

Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the State Duma committee on information policy, said Google may not meet the same fate yet.

MG