People release paper planes, symbol of the Telegram messenger, during a rally in protest against court decision to block the messenger because it violated Russian regulations, in Moscow, Russia
Russia plans to impose stiffer fines on technology firms that fail to comply with Russian laws, sources familiar with the plans said, raising the stakes in the Kremlin's fight with global tech giants such as Facebook and Google.
Over the past five years, Russia has introduced tougher internet laws that require 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 plans for harsher fines are contained in a consultation document prepared by the administration of President Vladimir Putin and sent to industry players for feedback, according to three sources familiar with the draft document.
At the moment, the only tools Russia has to enforce its data rules are fines that typically only come to a few thousand dollars or blocking the offending online services, which is an option fraught with technical difficulties.
The proposal is to amend the legislation so a company not complying with the rules is subject to a fine equal to 1 percent of its annual revenue in Russia, according to the sources and a copy of the document seen by Reuters.
The Kremlin did not respond to a request for comment.
Russia has stopped three Ukrainian navy vessels from entering the Sea of Azov via the Kerch Strait by placing a huge cargo ship beneath a Russian-controlled bridge, Russia's state-controlled Rossiya 24 TV channel reported on Sunday.Earlier on Sunday, Russia and Ukraine accused each other of breaking international law after Russian border guards tried and failed to stop Ukrainian ships circumnavigating Crimea en route to a Ukrainian port.A Rossiya 24 correspondent reporting from the area of the Kerch Strait bridge near Crimea said Russia's tactic had completely blocked the bridge, which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, and that Russian military helicopters were circling overhead.
Russia blocks Ukrainian navy from entering Sea of Azov
Russia on Sunday intervened as Ukrainian warships were engaged in relocation from the Port of Odesa to the Port of Mariupol in the Sea of Azov, the Ukrainian navy said.According to a statement by the Ukrainian Navy, two armored artillery vessels and a tug boat were sent after notifying transfer plans in advance, in accordance with international rules, to ensure the safety of shipping.The statement said Russian ships tried to stop the movement by “ramming” the tugboat that caused minor damages.It said all “unlawful” actions were recorded by the Ukrainian Navy Command and transferred to the international bodies.However, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed that Ukraine violated international law by crossing the Sea of Azov, off the Crimea.Relatives of MH17 victims taking Russia to top EU courtIn a statement, the FSB said the Ukrainian warships illegally entered Russian territorial waters at 07.00 a.m. local time.The statement added that the Ukrainian ships were carrying out “dangerous maneuvers” in the Russian waters, ignoring the warnings of the border security.Ukrainian ships continued its “provocation for around five hours in the territorial waters of Russia,” the statement said, added: "The purpose of the Ukrainian ships in the region to create a conflict is obvious."Bulgaria reported as route choice for TurkStream 2 gasHead of Russian spy agency accused of British poison attack dies
Russia ‘rams’ Ukrainian tugboat off Crimea
A representative of state telecoms regulator Roscomnadzor, Vadim Ampelonsky, said he could not comment because his agency was not involved in drafting laws.
Russian regulator Roscomnadzor has repeatedly accused Facebook and Google of failing to comply with Russian laws. It blocked access to LinkedIn in 2016 and tried to do the same to the Telegram encrypted messenger service in April.
A Google representative in Russia declined to comment on the accusations or the proposal for new fines. Neither Facebook nor Telegram CEO Pavel Durov responded to requests for comment.
One of the sources who told Reuters about the proposal works for a Russian technology firm, one is at a foreign tech company and the third works for an industry lobby group.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media.
'Significant Amount'
Just like lawmakers and officials in the United States and the European Union, Russia is wrestling with the challenge of how to limit the power of tech companies that have accumulated vast wealth and enormous vaults of data.
The proposal to levy companies 1 percent of annual revenue could lead to substantial fines.
Google's Russian subsidiary, for example, had revenue of 45.2 billion roubles ($687 million) in 2017, according to the SPARK database which aggregates data from business registries.
"For a foreign company, that's already a significant amount," the source at the foreign tech firm said, though they added that it was unclear how the fine would be collected given some companies have no legal entity in Russia.
Under the proposed amendments, a fine could also be levied multiple times on the same company for every time it is found to have committed a violation.
By comparison, under current legislation the maximum fine Google in Russia can face in an ongoing case brought against it by Roscomnadzor is 700,000 roubles ($10,595).
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of breaking international law on Sunday after Russian border guards tried and failed to stop two Ukrainian armoured artillery vessels circumnavigating Crimea en route to a Ukrainian port.The incident in the Black Sea reflects rising tensions between Moscow and Kiev around the Sea of Azov which both countries have the right to use.Russia and Ukraine, whose relations remain acutely strained after Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea and its backing for a pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine, have accused each other of harassing each other's shipping in the area.On Sunday, the Ukrainian Navy said it had sent two small armoured artillery vessels and a tug boat from the port of Odessa to Mariupol, a journey that requires them to pass from the Black Sea via the Kerch Strait into the Sea of Azov.It said in a statement that Russian border guard vessels had tried to stop the small flotilla by ramming the tug boat, causing minor damage to it in an incident it said showed Russia was behaving aggressively and illegally.Russian news agencies reported that Russia's FSB security service had accused Ukraine of not informing it in advance of the journey, something Kiev denied, and had said the Ukrainian ships had been manoeuvring dangerously with the aim of stirring up tensions.The Ukrainian navy said the flotilla was continuing its journey regardless.
Russia and Ukraine involved in Black Sea naval standoff
That case relates to allegations that Google, which is owned by Alphabet Inc., failed to comply with requests to remove search results for organisations that are banned in Russia. Google has not commented on the allegations.
Facebook has said it is in discussions with the telecoms watchdog about its compliance with the rules. It has not moved servers containing its Russian users' data to Russia, three years after a law was passed requiring the move.
In addition to stiffer fines, Russian authorities would retain the power to block companies' online services under the new laws, according to the draft proposal seen by Reuters.
The source in the industry lobby group said companies in the sector could accept higher fines if they were applied fairly and they replaced the practice of blocking sites. But he said firms would oppose rules that allow both fines and blocking.
"But generally speaking anything that brings order to the system of blocking that has sporadically arisen at various times is an excellent idea," the source said.
Blocking has caused technical problems in the past. When officials tried to block Telegram in April they inadvertently stopped Russian users' access to voice calls on the Viber messaging service and cloud-based applications for Volvo cars, among other services. Telegram is still accessible in Russia. ($1 = 66.0675 roubles)
Turkish and Russian defense ministers discussed latest situation in Syria's norhwestern Idlib and Tal Rifaat in a phone conversation on Saturday, according to Turkish official sources.The sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said Hulusi Akar and Sergei Shoigu discussed regional security issues in framework of Sochi agreement.In the conversation, technical and tactical measures to be taken in the field were specified, the sources said.Akar and Shoigu also confirmed their consensus about joint work on ensuring and maintaining peace and security in Idlib and Tal Rifaat, the sources added.After a Sept. 17 meeting in Sochi between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the two sides agreed to set up a demilitarized zone -- in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited -- in Syria’s Idlib province.Under the terms of the deal, opposition groups in Idlib will remain in areas in which they are already present, while Russia and Turkey will carry out joint patrols in the area to prevent a resumption of fighting.Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.Turkish officials help Syrian teen reunite with familySyrian Turkmens to unite under single flag
Turkish, Russian ministers discuss Idlib, Tal Rifaat
Russia would be ready to host a meeting between Palestinians and Israel and to act as a mediator, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.Lavrov was speaking to reporters during a two-day trip to Rome. Israeli navy detains Palestine fishermen off Gaza coastHamas seeks Palestinian unity not division: Leader
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