A local court in Russia ruled on Thursday that LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, will be blocked in the country, as the website stores its data in servers outside Russia.
The ruling was made according to a law passed last year that forces technology companies to store users’ data within the country, which is similar to a provision in China’s latest cybersecurity law that was passed Monday.
LinkedIn has more than 433 million members in 200 countries, including Russia; it also makes its site available in Russian.
The company has however not listed Russia among the places where it has an office, despite having more than two dozen outposts in cities around the world. Its European headquarters are in Dublin.
To operate in Russia, social networks must localize personal data, says Internet watchdog agency Roskomnadzor, which has moved to block LinkedIn.
The Moscow City Court upheld the decision Thursday, rejecting an appeal from LinkedIn and making it likely that the job and networking site would be blocked in Russia by next week, according to the TASS news agency.
“The Russian court’s decision has the potential to deny access to LinkedIn for the millions of members we have in Russia and the companies that use LinkedIn to grow their businesses. We remain interested in a meeting with Roskomnadzor to discuss their data localization request,” the company’s spokesperson commented.
If LinkedIn is blocked, Russian job seekers can always turn to the Federal Labor and Employment Agency’s website, says Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets.
The ruling could have a ripple effect that touches Facebook, Twitter and other tech giants.
