PRESS: EU may heavily fine Russian cell operators for data storage

MOSCOW, Jul 24 (PRIME) -- Russia’s data retention law could turn into a 45 billion ruble fine for the four local major mobile operators since the rule stipulates storage of personal data of E.U. citizens as well, which contradicts European laws, business daily Vedomosti reported on Monday.

The E.U.’s regulation on the protection of personal data, which was adopted in May 2016, comes into force on May 25, 2018. Signed into law in the middle of 2016, Russia’s data retention law obliges connection operators and Internet companies to keep content of users’ shared information up to six months from July 1, 2018, and disclose it to special services upon request.

Violations of European rules by foreign companies will be fined up to 20 million euros, or up to 4% of annual global revenue, depending of which sum is bigger.

The daily calculated that the amount of the fine for local mobile giants – MTS, MegaFon, VimpelCom, and T2 RTK Holding – could reach about 45 billion rubles.

Open Government Affairs Minister Mikhail Abyzov said in early June that expenses on the fulfilment of the data retention law will be at 120–130 billion rubles.

(58.9325 rubles – U.S. $1)

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