Russian Authorities Order Internet Providers to Block LinkedIn Website

[MacRumors]

Russia's communications regulator has blocked public access to LinkedIn after an earlier court ruling found the social networking firm to have violated data storage laws (via Reuters).

LinkedIn, which has over 6 million registered users in Russia, becomes the first major social network to be blocked by Russian authorities after falling afoul of the country's stringent data storage laws, which require personal information of Russian citizens to be stored on Russian servers.

LinkedIn's site will be blocked within 24 hours, according to a report by the Interfax news agency. One Internet service provider, Rostelcom, said it had already blocked access to the site, while two others - MTS and Vimpelcom - said they would do so within 24 hours.

LinkedIn has yet to comment on the order by the Russian communications regulator, but the U.S. company warned earlier this month that the court ruling risked denying access to its site for millions of individual and corporate members situated in Russia.

A spokesperson for Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor told Reuters it had received a letter from LinkedIn management on Friday requesting a meeting, but that the watchdog had to get approval from the country's foreign ministry before the meeting could take place.

The law requiring companies that store the personal data of citizens to do so on Russian servers was introduced in 2014, but has never previously been enforced. The law was adopted on grounds of "overall state security issues" and "increased instances of personal data leakage", but critics see it as part of a broader effort to tighten control over internet access.

Article Link: Russian Authorities Order Internet Providers to Block LinkedIn Website

 

[Scottsoapbox]

How will Russians ever get a job without LinkedIn!

 

[CarpalMac]

falling afoul of the country's stringent data storage laws, which require personal information of Russian citizens to be stored on Russian servers.

So does this mean that they will be soon be blocking Google, internet forums etc..?

Seems a bit funny that after two years they choose to target LinkedIn to finally start enforcing the rule. Makes you wonder if there is more to all of this.

 

[mikeylikesit]

The second paragraph is incorrect. Microsoft has an agreement to buy LinkedIn but the transaction has not closed.

 

[timmyh]

The second paragraph is incorrect. Microsoft has an agreement to buy LinkedIn but the transaction has not closed.

Thanks, "Microsoft-owned" removed.

 

[ck2875]

To be fair, LinkedIn is pretty dodgy/creepy in their data collection, so I understand why foreign states wouldn't want that being hosted in the United States given the amount of government surveillance that takes place there.

For one, LinkedIn datamines people's contacts and even though I don't allow access to my contacts if I email someone who does, I'll suddenly get recommendations on my end to add them on LinkedIn as soon as they have my email. Also, if I view someone's profile without being logged in, they'll use unique identifiers to figure out it's still me and still tell that person I viewed their profile (figured this out after I was looking at a potential employee's profile in a "private tab" and they requested to add me like 10 minutes later, which could have been coincidental but I doubt it).

 

[mistafro]

Deactivate it here too please! Lol

I unsubscribe from all emails and mysteriously a few weeks later emails from them start coming again! Time to delete my account or will that be hidden so deep I can't find it?!

 

[2457282]

Well if they do this to LinkedIn, will they go after iCloud and your AppleID (emails, documents, music, pictures, etc.) which are not stored in Russia? What about Dropbox? Where do they draw the line?

 

[Scottsoapbox]

To be fair, LinkedIn is pretty dodgy/creepy in their data collection, so I understand why foreign states wouldn't want that being hosted in the United States given the amount of government surveillance that takes place there.

You think Russia has less government surveillance than the US?

 

[cuestakid]

Something tells me that people will find a way to get around it...

 

[ck2875]

You think Russia has less government surveillance than the US?

No. I just very much doubt Russia wants to give US intelligence that much data on all of its citizens when Russia can have it hosted on their own soil, monitor them themselves, and make it more difficult for the US to obtain that same data on the Russian population.

 

[Glassed Silver]

To be fair, LinkedIn is pretty dodgy/creepy in their data collection, so I understand why foreign states wouldn't want that being hosted in the United States given the amount of government surveillance that takes place there.

For one, LinkedIn datamines people's contacts and even though I don't allow access to my contacts if I email someone who does, I'll suddenly get recommendations on my end to add them on LinkedIn as soon as they have my email. Also, if I view someone's profile without being logged in, they'll use unique identifiers to figure out it's still me and still tell that person I viewed their profile (figured this out after I was looking at a potential employee's profile in a "private tab" and they requested to add me like 10 minutes later, which could have been coincidental but I doubt it).

I find it pretty ironic how much of an overly attached girlfriend they are pulling on their customers whilst claiming to be a network for professionals.

Glassed Silver:ios

 

[can$rules]

Imagine there's no countries...

 

[Goatllama]

Imagine there's no countries...

It's easy if you [REDACTED]

 

[miniyou64]

Yeah bad if Russia does it but just fine if the US does it...

 

[RightMACatU]

LinkedIn has been Putinized!

 

[shansoft]

To be fair, LinkedIn is pretty dodgy/creepy in their data collection, so I understand why foreign states wouldn't want that being hosted in the United States given the amount of government surveillance that takes place there.

For one, LinkedIn datamines people's contacts and even though I don't allow access to my contacts if I email someone who does, I'll suddenly get recommendations on my end to add them on LinkedIn as soon as they have my email. Also, if I view someone's profile without being logged in, they'll use unique identifiers to figure out it's still me and still tell that person I viewed their profile (figured this out after I was looking at a potential employee's profile in a "private tab" and they requested to add me like 10 minutes later, which could have been coincidental but I doubt it).

Google has been doing this for ages. Amazon also been doing it for all your searches.

Facebook on the other hand is on the extreme level of data mining.

Unless you can get away from all 3, LinkedIn actually doesn't seem that creepy to me when they only used it to make some suggestions.