Russian Parliament Votes to Force US Tech Giants to Open Local Offices or Face Punitive Measures

[MacRumors]

Apple and other U.S. tech companies could be forced to open offices in Russia or face punitive measures, as part of a push by Russia to improve its internet "sovereignty."

Russian lawmakers passed legislation last week that requires foreign sites with more than half a million daily users in Russia to set up a local branch or Russian legal entity, reports Reuters:

Websites that do not comply would be marked as being non-compliant on search engines, they could be excluded from search engine results, and banned from advertising in Russia and for Russians, the parliament said on its website.

The bill's authors argue that the current lack of such a requirement allows foreign sites to formally remain outside of Russia's jurisdiction.

The legislation has passed its third and final reading in the country's lower house of parliament, and now needs to be approved by the upper house and signed into law by President Vladimir Putin, which is widely expected to happen.

The latest move follows several actions by the Russian government that allow it to further tighten state control of online content in the country. In 2017, Russia banned VPNs and other software that enables users to gain anonymous access to websites.

Apple in 2019 complied with the country's law requiring data on citizens to be stored on local servers, and earlier this year it was forced to show iOS users in the country a list of suggested apps created by Russian developers when setting up a new device.

Russia has also targeted apps and services more directly if it considers them to be in breach of local digital laws. For example, Russia tried to ban encrypted messaging app Telegram after it refused to comply with requests that it hand over the encryption keys that would allow it to access users' data.

More recently, in March, Russia intentionally slowed down Twitter's internet traffic to punish it for not deleting what it considered to be "banned content."

Article Link: Russian Parliament Votes to Force US Tech Giants to Open Local Offices or Face Punitive Measures

 

[beanbaguk]

You have to love a good dictatorship! Power to the people, sorry, Putin!

 

[zahuh]

jobs.apple.com/putin will be live soon LOL

 

[mazz0]

For example, Russia tried to ban encrypted messaging app Telegram after it refused to comply with requests that it hand over the encryption keys that would allow it to access users' data.

I thought the point was Telegram couldn't hand over such keys because they don't have them - the encryption is end-to-end and only the users involved in a conversation have access to them?

In 2017, Russia banned VPNs and other software that enables users to gain anonymous access to websites.

I imagine the Kremlin's not happy with iCloud Private Relay then.

 

[laptech]

If Apple want to get more rich then they will comply with Russia's demands.

 

[Agit21]

Good move Russia!

 

[SurferPup]

Sucks to live in Russia. Their Government should make a state issued smart phone and call it the Kremlin Garbage Broadcaster мобильный телефон with all your favourite bloatware: KGB Dobber, Comrade Dialer, iCCCP Message, WeFindU, PutinBook, ❤️CentralCommittee НетVPN, StateOwnsURass Contacts on the iSPYu OS.

 

[Marbles1]

I'm sure Apple, like most tech companies, will use virtual signalling, boast about their commitment to LGBT causes, green energy, and 'doing things the right way', but will also say 'WE COMPLY WITH LOCAL LAWS' and happily operate in awful regimes like China and Russia.

 

[DinkThifferent]

Time for ALL western countries to pull out of Russia.

After 30 years, the one-party state is back in full force.

 

[laudern]

You have to love a good dictatorship! Power to the people, sorry, Putin!

The far left of the US are taking notes I'm sure.

 

[ruka.snow]

If companies want to operate outside their own borders then they'll have to start following local laws and paying local taxes. Russia has as much right to protect its interests and way of life as the USA does. That people think it is ok for websites and apps to break another countries laws because 'USA freedom!' is utterly daft.

 

[ruka.snow]

The far left of the US are taking notes I'm sure.

The US far left are so right wing you wouldn't ever even get the basics of a developed nation like free healthcare and education. Though what is going on in Russia isn't as simple as left vs right.

 

[wanha]

The far left of the US are taking notes I'm sure.

The projection is strong with this one.

 

[beanbaguk]

The far left of the US are taking notes I'm sure.

The far-right propaganda engine is clearly in full flow....

 

[beanbaguk]

The US far left are so right wing you wouldn't ever even get the basics of a developed nation like free healthcare and education. Though what is going on in Russia isn't as simple as left vs right.

Bang on.....some of the "anti-left wing" comments have given me the giggles. They have zero clue.

Free healthcare - COMMUNISM!
Free education - COMMUNISM!
Social welfare - COMMUNISM!

??‍♂️

 

[I7guy]

I'm sure Apple, like most tech companies, will use virtual signalling, boast about their commitment to LGBT causes, green energy, and 'doing things the right way', but will also say 'WE COMPLY WITH LOCAL LAWS' and happily operate in awful regimes like China and Russia.

As will Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, google, etc

 

[T Coma]

It’s only fair; their growing hacking/ransom industry deserves local tech support.

 

[ruka.snow]

I'm sure Apple, like most tech companies, will use virtual signalling, boast about their commitment to LGBT causes, green energy, and 'doing things the right way', but will also say 'WE COMPLY WITH LOCAL LAWS' and happily operate in awful regimes like China and Russia.

It is perfectly fine to push social issues in your own country while respecting that other nations will develop on their own and without interference. If you impose your values on other nations, you might as well go land a army and put up your flag. Nations need to develop change from the inside, not have it imposed on them.

 

[InGen]

I am against all the anti-trust sentiment happening around the world trying to force Apple to change it's OS, products and ecosystem to suit the capitalistic agenda of tech-illiterate politicians and salty competition. But I do believe Apple's ecosystem (and technology in general) should be tailored individually to each country (in Partnership with Apple and the corresponding country).

Why should Tech Boses of any company based primarily in SanFrancisco, USA dictate the cultural trends of other countries? That homogenisation of 1-rule for all actually damages true diversity world wide and diverse thinking. Perhaps an App that is deemed Anti-LGBT that is very inappropriate in the US may be culturally very appropriate in a place like Hungary or Poland. Or a dating App that is socially acceptable in Britain or Australia may defy the religious and social customs of conservative countries like Saudi Arabia. If you acknowledge and respect diversity, you also respect diversity in values and cultural customs, and so tech shouldn't be a one-size fits all scenario with only 1 set of rules.

Apple, a company that prides itself on diversity should be taking the initiative here to tailor parts of it's services and technology to the various geographical and cultural regions in which it's used. Even if it means tailoring to countries and populations who's values differ to it's own.

 

[wbeasley]

Seriously it is time to just stop selling items in some areas and let the consumers complain or vote those making these laws out of office.

You can just imagine what spyware some governments are getting loaded with these laws.
VPN would probably be the best install before anything else.

Many people in Bali, Indonesia load VPN to load common apps the government don't want them having.

 

[wbeasley]

I am against all the anti-trust sentiment happening around the world trying to force Apple to change it's OS, products and ecosystem to suit the capitalistic agenda of tech-illiterate politicians and salty competition. But I do believe Apple's ecosystem (and technology in general) should be tailored individually to each country (in Partnership with Apple and the corresponding country).

Why should Tech Boses of any company based primarily in SanFrancisco, USA dictate the cultural trends of other countries? That homogenisation of 1-rule for all actually damages true diversity world wide and diverse thinking. Perhaps an App that is deemed Anti-LGBT that is very inappropriate in the US may be culturally very appropriate in a place like Hungary or Poland. Or a dating App that defies the religious and social customs of conservative countries like Saudi Arabia may be socially acceptable in the Britain or Australia. If you acknowledge and respect diversity, you also respect diversity in values and cultural customs, and so tech shouldn't be a one-size fits all scenario with only 1 set of rules.

Apple, a company that prides itself on diversity should be taking the initiative here to tailor parts of it's services and technology to the various geographical and cultural regions in which it's used. Even if it means tailoring to countries and populations who's values differ to it's own.

I'm wondering what Anti-LGBT app you think would be appropriate in any non-US country?

Given Apple promote workplace diversity and equality any app that did that should not make in into the app store, anywhere.

 

[InGen]

Given Apple promote workplace diversity and equality any app that did that should not make in into the app store, anywhere.

That's a tricky situation, for which level of diversity should have precedence over the other? If collectively, a population of people all have similar views on something (say, LGBT non-acceptance in a region where it is all but non-existent culturally) and build Apps and policies that reflect that (that also don't affect anyone outside of that region) then that in itself is a form of Diversity (of culture), to which Apple should respect and tailor for, if Apple itself truly respects the diversity of all peoples.

To add to that, if Diversity only goes as far as being skin deep, then just like rainbow capitalism, it is just a shallow pandering for self-gain rather than a genuine inclusion of that which is different from you. To assume that we are only diverse as far as our skin colour but underneath we are all the same empty programable robots is ludicrous. Humans (as racial groups) are different, period. Our thought patterns, impulses, inclinations, tastes. Our cultures reflect that group diversity, that is why Japanese people have constructed a different society to Nigerian people. It's this cultural diversity, of custom and thought that should be equally reflected in the tech used by every group of people. I hope Apple can make the leap to recognising that what makes all humans unique goes beyond just our skin colour, and can tailor for that difference.

 

[Premium1]

I'm sure Apple, like most tech companies, will use virtual signalling, boast about their commitment to LGBT causes, green energy, and 'doing things the right way', but will also say 'WE COMPLY WITH LOCAL LAWS' and happily operate in awful regimes like China and Russia.

Of course, they will, I mean that's why private relay isn't coming to China. Apple tries to act like they care about users and privacy yet continue to bend over backwards for places like China and Russia.

 

[rgeneral]

All iPhones must have Putin as the default wallpaper

 

[IIGS User]

All the political snarking aside, no one can deny that regimes like Russia and China are bad actors.

People LOVE to US bash, and I get it. The US is rash with issues. No doubt. But to even consider some sort of parity with Russia or China is specious.

I mean, the EU doesn't have sanctions in place against the US for government backed violence against the LGBTQ community (unlike Russia) which Human Rights Watch calls the present regime "more repressive that it ever has been in the post Soviet era" with things like "Undesirable laws" that ban activities by such subversive organizations as "Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting".

China presently has a president "for life" which last time I checked, it usually called a Dictator. Imprisoning over a million Uyghurs and other people of Muslim faith for not other reason than their religious beliefs. This being the proverbial tip of the iceberg.

Again, I'm not here waving the flag for the US. The US has lots of problems. But, I do know that my lesbian friend at work who's married to her wife won't get fired today for being who she is, and she won't end up on a watch list, or in a labor camp.

My Muslim co worker on the other end of the building is free to answer the adhan in the course of her work day. Not only without repercussion, but with every accommodation to her faith my employer can provide.

So, we can cut the crap on the US-China-Russia are somehow the same line.

In the end Apple will do what makes Apple money. If Putin (who's essentially been the leader of Russia since 1999) says the crapper in the new office needs a gold toilet seat, Apple will ask "solid" or "plated" and comply.