The business networking platform LinkedIn is the first major international player to fall victim to the implementation of Russia’s “data localization” law, with effect from September 1, 2015, which requires all parties processing personal data of Russian citizens to have this data stored in the territory of the Russian Federation. A failure to comply, including in case of parties having no Russian presence, may result in the blocking of access to the respective web resources by Russian users at the internet-providers’ level in Russia (a tool already broadly used by the Russian authorities).

On November 10, 2016, the Moscow City Court upheld in the appellate instance the court order of August 10 satisfying the claim by the competent federal authority to block access to “LinkedIn” websites in the territory of the Russian Federation. With the appellate ruling having immediate effect, on November 17 local Internet providers started blocking access to LinkedIn’s services in Russia. The regulator in charge of personal data matters, Roskomnadzor, claims that LinkedIn refused to localize data despite repeated orders to do so, while the network in its statement distributed to Russian users on November 18 says they believe they are in compliance with all applicable laws.