Google has confirmed that rumors its engineers are to leave its Russian offices are true. Whilst the web giant said it “remains committed” to Google, it has been affected by a ruling from the Russian parliament that said internet companies must store the country’s personal data inside the country.
The company has relocated engineers from one country to another on a number of occasions and has not said how many of its staff have been affected by the decision. The Kremlin said that the ruling was an attempt to strength data protection, though critics all over the world have branded it as an attempt to censor the internet. The law will allow the government to block sites that refused to adhere to it.
Data relating to users held by tech companies is rarely stored in the same country as them. Data is generally stored in vast facilities located all around the world. It’s believed that Google will keep some of its staff in Russia, such as support, marketing and sales personnel. It said “We are deeply committed to our Russian users and customers and we have a dedicated team in Russia working to support them.”
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