Russia Fines Google for Not Localizing User Data

A Russian court ruled on Thursday to fine Google $260,000 for repeated refusal to localize the personal data of Russian users.

Google representatives did not attend the sitting, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.

The court revealed that the company continues to use databases located in the United States and the European Union for storing the personal data of Russian users, breaching the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses.

Russian legislation requires Internet service providers to store and process the personal data of Russians in the territory of Moscow.

In like manner, an Australian court fined Google $515,000, on Monday, for refusing to remove a YouTuber’s “relentless, racist, vilificatory, abusive and defamatory” videos.

The Federal Court found the company intentionally made money by hosting two videos on its YouTube website attacking the then-deputy premier of New South Wales. The videos have been viewed nearly 800,000 times since being posted in 2020.

According to the judgment, Google had denied the videos carried defamatory imputations, adding that the YouTuber had the right to an honestly held opinion and should be protected by the right to criticise a politician.

A Google spokesperson was not available for comment on the fine.

“They (Google) were advised that those defamatory videos were there, they looked into it, they decided for themselves that they weren’t, and left them up,” said Prof David Rolph, a specialist in media law at the University of Sydney Law School.

“That’s an orthodox application of the basic principles of publication in defamation law (but) leaves the larger question about whether we need to reform the principles of publication.”

Recently, Google agreed to pay out a total of $118 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused it of systematically underpaying women.

Three female Google employees first sued the tech company in 2017, claiming that it paid women less than men for the same job; a fourth plaintiff was added later.

“While we strongly believe in the equity of our policies and practices, after nearly five years of litigation, both sides agreed that resolution of the matter, without any admission or findings, was in the best interest of everyone,” Chris Pappas, a Google spokesman, said in a statement.

“We’re very pleased to reach this agreement.” the company has analyzed pay equity over the last nine years and raised employees’ pay when warranted, Pappas added.