Russia obliges internet companies to store data Russians in their own country

The Russian parliament has passed a law that obliges internet companies to store data of Russian residents on Russian servers. Russia probably wants to strengthen its grip on the internet with this.

According to the law passed in the Duma, internet companies must start storing data from Russians in Russia from 2016, Reuters news agency reported. The law applies to all companies, including major social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Companies that do not comply with the law can be made inaccessible in Russia. The bill was made public earlier this week.

It is not the first time that Russia has amended its legislation to further strengthen its grip on the internet. Previously, the country required bloggers with more than 3,000 visitors to register and restricted search engines and social networks.

Critics argue that the recently enacted internet laws are intended to censor the internet in Russia. In other forms of media, such as newspapers and TV, the Russian government is already firmly in control. According to Reporters Without Borders, Russia is one of the countries with the least freedom of the press.