(Reuters) – Russia’s state communications regulator Roskomnadzor has added Amazon Web Services and 11 other foreign technology companies to a widened list of firms it wants to open local offices or face penalties and possible bans.
Russia in 2021 demanded that 13 firms, mostly U.S. technology companies such as Alphabet’s Google, Meta Platforms’ Facebook, Apple and Twitter become officially represented on Russian soil by the end of the year or face restrictions on advertising, data collection or money transfers.
Moscow’s subsequent invasion of Ukraine intensified Russia’s disputes with Big Tech, ultimately leading to Twitter, Facebook and others being banned from the market.
But despite the initial threats, may other listed web services remain operational and available, such as YouTube, Wikipedia, Telegram and Zoom.
Amazon Web Services and another 11 mostly hosting sites were added on Thursday, Roskomnadzor’s website showed.
It was not immediately clear what the listing would mean for Amazon and others. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Alexander Marrow; editing by David Evans)
