Moscow — Russia’s internet watchdog on Tuesday warned Facebook it would be banned in 2018 unless it complies with a law on storing local users’ data. "The law is compulsory for all," the head of Roskomnadzor telecoms watchdog Alexander Zharov told journalists in Moscow, quoted by Interfax news agency. "We will work on getting Facebook to observe the law," Zharov said. "This will all happen in 2018 definitely." A controversial law passed in 2014 requires foreign messaging services, search engines and social networking sites to store the personal data of Russian users inside Russia. The law, which was fiercely opposed by the telecommunications industry, is an apparent move to pressure sites such as Facebook and Twitter into handing over user information. "In any case we will either get the law carried out or the company will stop working in Russia, as unfortunately happened to LinkedIn," Zharov said. "There are no exceptions here," he added. Russian internet providers last year blocke...
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