Google, TikTok and 11 other IT giants should now have a Russian representative office
Photo: Annegret Hilse / Reuters
From January 1, 2022, foreign Internet giants and IT companies with a daily audience of more than 500 thousand people are required to register an official representative office in Russia. Similar requirements are contained in the requirement of Roskomnadzor to “land”, which will come into force in 2022.
The new requirements will affect the largest players in the IT market: Google, Meta (formerly Facebook), Apple, TikTok, Telegram, Zoom, Twich, Twitter, Viber, Discord, Spotify, Pinterest. In addition to representative offices, they are now obliged to install audience counters recommended by Roskomnadzor.
Also, clear electronic feedback forms for the Russian audience should appear on the websites of the listed organizations, and representative offices should create a personal account on the website of the Russian Internet regulator.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law on the “landing” of IT giants on July 1, 2021. Lawyers already believe that foreign companies are now threatened with multibillion-dollar losses if they refuse to comply with the requirements of Russian legislation.
