GoKawiilApple, Microsoft added to Russia's surveillance registry
Apple and Microsoft were added on October 2 to Russia's 'organizers of information dissemination' registry maintained by regulator Roskomnadzor, Bloomberg reported. The designation requires them to store Russian users' messages, calls and video communications for three years and hand that data to security services upon request, or face fines and potential service restrictions. Google Meet, WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, Cloudflare and Blizzard are already on the same list.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The listing extends Moscow's data-retention and surveillance demands to two of the world's largest tech firms, deepening the compliance dilemma they face between Russian law and user privacy commitments elsewhere. Apple's position is especially fraught given it has already curtailed sales, Apple Pay and App Store purchases in Russia since 2022, suggesting further friction could follow if it resists compliance. Non-compliance risks fines or outright blocking, as Russia has already done with WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and FaceTime.
- Apple and Microsoft joined Russia's state surveillance registry on October 2, per Bloomberg.
- Listed firms must store users' communications for three years and share them with security agencies on request.
- Non-compliance can trigger fines or restricted access, a tactic already used against WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and FaceTime.
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Published there as: “Russia now requires Apple to store user communications and hand them over if requested”
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