LinkedIn Remains Blocked in Russia

Social media network LinkedIn and the Russian authorities have failed to reach an agreement to restore access to the site in the country, Reuters reported, referring to statements made on March 9 by the company and the telecom regulator Roskomnadzor.

“While we believe we comply with all applicable laws, and despite conversations with Roskomnadzor, including meeting with them in Moscow in December 2016, we have been unable to reach an understanding that would see them lift the block on LinkedIn in the Russian Federation,” a LinkedIn spokesman said.

The US company, which is now owned by Microsoft, said that it would still offer a Russian-language version of its platform and that it hoped that access to it from Russia will be restored in the future.

Roskomnadzor presented the matter in a slightly different light: “[We] received a letter from LinkedIn’s VP Global Public Policy Pablo Chavez [stating that] the company is not ready to remove infringements of Russian law. The company has refused to comply with the obligation of storing personal data of Russian citizens on Russian territory, confirming its lack of interest in working on the Russian market.”