Support Centre

You have out of 5 free articles left for the month

Signup for a trial to access unlimited content.

Start Trial

Continue reading on DataGuidance with:

Free Member

Limited Articles

Create an account to continue accessing select articles, resources, and guidance notes.

Free Trial

Unlimited Access

Start your free trial to access unlimited articles, resources, guidance notes, and workspaces.

Russia: Roskomnadzor publishes list of companies required to open a Russian branch

On June 22, 2023, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) announced an updated list of foreign companies subject to the Federal Law of 1 July 2021 No. 236-FZ on Activities of Foreign Persons in the Information and Telecommunication Network on the Territory of the Russian Federation (the Law). In particular, the Roskomnadzor highlighted that the Law entered into force on January 1, 2022.

The Law provides that a foreign internet operator, with a daily audience of more than 500,000 users, must open a branch, representative office, or authorized legal entity in Russia, post an electronic feedback form for Russian users on their website, and register a personal account on the Roskomnadzor website for operational interaction with authorities.

Failure to do so ensures that an operator may be subject to a fine of up to 10% of its annual revenue or, in the case of repeated offenses, 20% of its annual revenue, following the Federal Law of 14 July 2022 No. 259-FZ which amended the Code of 30 December 2001 No. 195-FZ on Administrative Offences.

The 12 companies now subject to the Law include:

  • Hetzner Online GmbH;
  • Network Solutions, LLC;
  • WPEngine, Inc.;
  • HostGator.com, LLC;
  • Ionos Inc.;
  • DreamHost, LLC;
  • FastComet, Inc.;
  • Amazon Web Services, Inc.;
  • GoDaddy.com LLC;
  • Bluehost Inc.;
  • Kamatera Inc.; and
  • DigitalOcean, LLC.

You can read the press release, only available in Russian, here.

Feedback