As it steps up efforts to control the nation’s digital domain, Russia is thinking of completely blocking all Google services. The formal proposal comes after lawmakers issued further cautions. They contend that there may be a national security danger associated with Google’s handling of user data. The likelihood of a total ban keeps growing as hostilities between the government and the tech behemoth worsen.
Russia considers countrywide ban on Google services
According to Russian legislator Andrei Svintsov, Google services could be blocked by the government because the country’s citizens’ data is currently being held elsewhere. He contends that Russia and its economy are seriously threatened by the storage of citizens’ data abroad. He goes on to say that it could lead to future penalties and allow foreign monitoring of domestic businesses.
Svintsov had previously attacked Google-owned sites, speculating that following recent service interruptions, even Google Meet would be banned. He is still in favor of the Russian government’s insistence that international companies keep local residents’ data inside their borders. They are adamantly opposed to user data being stored abroad.
New restrictions risk deepening digital isolation in the state
Stricter measures are on the horizon, as evidenced by the presentation of a new bill in the State Duma to reinforce regulations governing the transfer of personal data overseas. The goal, according to the MPs, is to apply a gentle pressure that “encourages” US tech firms to completely withdraw from the Russian market. The nation has already prohibited a number of other well-known websites and applications. To access these platforms, citizens must use VPNs.
The goal of the Russian government is to improve internal control nationwide. Recently, authorities have imposed restrictions on access to a number of Western platforms, such as Roblox, FaceTime, and Snapchat, on the grounds that they carry extremist content or facilitate dangerous acts. Additionally, a complete ban on WhatsApp was recently threatened. The government’s current course suggests further state control and greater digital isolation.
