Facebook could be banned in Russia over data law violations, regulator suggests

Communications regulator Roskomnadzor made the warning just days after blocking the popular messaging app Telegram

Russia's media watchdog Roskomnadzor could block Facebook in the country if the social network fails to relocate Russian citizen's data. (REUTERS)

Russia could ban Facebook, its media regulator has suggested.

The site could be cut off in the country for failing to comply with data storage legislation, local media reports.

The warning comes after communications regulator Roskomnadzor began blocking the messaging app Telegram on Monday, 16 April, after refused to grant security services in the country access to its users’ encrypted messages.

Roskomnadzor head Alexander Zharov told the Russian daily Izvestia that Facebook could be blocked if the social network did not store the data of its Russian users on local servers.

“We will inspect the company by late 2018, and there are several points that should be implemented. These are the location of Russian citizens’ database on the territory of Russia, removal of all unlawful content… and compliance with other laws,” Mr Zharov told the newspaper.

“If the company fails to do any or at least something of these, or the Russian government receives no notification of intent to do these, we will obviously raise the issue of blocking.”

It is not the first time the watchdog has threatened to block Facebook, having said last year that the technology firm was violating the 2015 data storage law.

The watchdog banned the professional network LinkedIn in 2016 for failing to adhere to the same law regarding data localization.

Facebook is the third most popular social network in Russia, according to Statista, with only VKontakte and Odnoklassniki boasting more users.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told US senators last week that the social network is in an “arms race” with subversive Russian forces looking to manipulate the platform for political purposes.

“There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems and other systems as well,” Mr Zuckerberg said during a joint session of several US senate committees, following revelations that UK data firm Cambridge Analytica misused user data from the social network.

“They’re going to keep getting better at this, and we need to invest in making sure we keep getting better at this too… as long as there are people in Russia whose job it is to interfere with elections around the world, this is going to be an ongoing conflict.”

A Facebook spokesperson was not immediately available for comment on Mr Zharov’s comments.