The Russian president signed a law Thursday requiring large social media companies that operate in the country to open offices there or face harsh pen

Putin forces foreign social media companies to open offices in Russia

submited by
Style Pass
2021-07-01 16:30:04

The Russian president signed a law Thursday requiring large social media companies that operate in the country to open offices there or face harsh penalties.

If firms like Facebook and Twitter — neither of which currently have offices in Russia — do not establish physical offices in the country or open separate Russian business entities, they could be hit with expensive penalties including advertising bans. 

“A foreign entity, carrying out activities on the internet in Russia, is obliged to create a branch, open an office or establish a Russian legal entity,” the new law said.

Twitter spokesperson Amy Rose Harte declined to comment on whether the company plans to open a Russian office, while Facebook did not immediately respond to an inquiry. 

The law applies to any social media company with 500,000 or more daily users in Russia, according to Alexander Khinshtein, the head of the information policy and IT committee at Russia’s lower house of parliament.

Leave a Comment