Google fined $164,000 for failing to store users’ data on servers in Russia

A magistrate at Moscow’s Tagansky district court imposed the fine on Google after the IT company repeatedly refused to store personal data on Russian citizens in Russia.

Earlier, Google was fined over the same charges in August 2021 and June 2022 under a Russian law that obliges foreign companies to localise the personal data of their Russian users.

In August, the US tech giant was ordered to pay a 3 million rubles (about $32,800) fine for failing to delete allegedly false information about the war in Ukraine.

In summer 2022, Google’s Russian subsidiary had filed for bankruptcy after Russian authorities seized its bank account, making it impossible to pay staff and vendors.

In Russia, while Twitter and Facebook are banned, access to Google’s services and its search engine and YouTube is free.

Earlier, Russian courts have also fined Apple and the Wikimedia Foundation, which hosts Wikipedia.

Google’s video platform YouTube will soon require video makers to disclose when they’ve uploaded manipulated or synthetic content that looks realistic — including video that has been created using artificial intelligence tools.

The policy update, which will go into effect in 2024, could apply to videos that use generative AI tools to realistically depict events that never happened, or show people saying or doing something they didn’t actually do.

From December 1, Google will start deleting certain personal data that include Gmail messages, Google Photos libraries, Google Calendar appointments, and Google Docs archives.

In July, Google had sent emails warning that these account deletions would start in December.

According to those emails, any account that is considered to be inactive will receive “several reminder emails” before any action is taken. 

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Updated: 14 Nov 2023, 05:02 PM IST