The social media giants are accused of violating Russian laws requiring search engines to delete some search results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services and social networks to store Russian users’ personal data on servers within the country. The companies have a month to provide information or action will be taken against them, according to Russia’s communications watchdog. (Reuters)

Talking point: This is the latest move from Russia to pressure large tech companies to  comply with laws that human rights campaigners say will compromise the privacy of its citizens. The country has been implementing tougher internet laws over the past several years, and has blocked major platforms, including LinkedIn, for violating them. In 2017, Twitter and Google agreed to transfer its Russian users’ data to Russian servers by mid-2018. Google had already moved some of its servers into the country in 2015, but has recently faced threats of being blocked unless it complies with a law banning certain websites. At the same time, tech companies are struggling to keep up with Europe’s strict privacy laws; Google is the first major company to be fined for violating the GDPR. Russia’s fines for violating its data laws are typically only a few thousand dollars, or result in a block, but the country is planning on imposing higher fines.