Russian Personal Data Law Published on Government Portal

A law requiring internet companies to store Russian nationals' personal data exclusively within the country was published on Russia's Official Internet Portal of Legal Information on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, December 31 (Sputnik) – Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the bill in July, obliging foreign online companies to store Russian users' personal data only in Russia. The law will come into effect in September. The law — which, among others, affects plane ticket vendors, online shopping websites and social networks — was ratified in the Russian upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, last Thursday.

Lawmakers were asked to delay the regulation's entry into force, with the Foreign Investment Advisory Council (FIAC) in particular citing too little time to adjust in-house networks to the provisions of the law. In addition to unforeseen costs running to the millions of dollars, some feared that the measure could lead to a shut-down of honest law-abiding businesses.

However, instead of postponing it, the legislators advanced the data storage bill's entry into force from September 1, 2016 to September 1, 2015. The decision to move up the bill's date by a year followed consultations with representatives from the Internet industry.