UPDATE: Russia slaps 4 mln rbl fine on Facebook, Twitter for refusal to localize data

(Adds Twitter in headline, lede, last 3 paragraphs)

MOSCOW, Feb 13 (PRIME) -- The justice court fined Facebook and Twitter 4 million rubles each for a failure to provide information on localization of databases of Russian users on Thursday.

“To find foreign company Facebook guilty of committing administrative violation…and impose a fine of 4 million rubles,” Judge Alexandra Mikhalyova said.

The communications service opened the case against Facebook and Twitter in late January.

The authority first asked Facebook and Twitter to report on localization of databases in December 2018. The service received no response and initiated an administrative case in January 2019 and then a court fined the two companies 3,000 rubles each. The companies had nine months to improve.

Representatives neither from Facebook nor from the communications service attended the court session. The judge decided to study the case in their absence.

According to the case documents, Facebook has been collecting personal data of Russians, including names, surnames, dates of birth, and photos, but failed to record or systematize the information with the use of databases located on the territory of Russia.

The court’s move can be contested. If the decision takes effect, the fine is to be paid during 60 days.

(63.0470 rubles – U.S. $1)

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