Maxim Ali has commented on the increase in fines for non-compliance with legislation on personal data and information protection

The State Duma at third reading passed a law that imposes high fines under the Code of Administrative Offences for non-compliance with the Administrative Code on personal data and information protection legislation. Administrative liability depends upon the extent to which the offender is involved with a maximum fine for individuals of 300,000 roubles, for public officials 800,000 roubles, and for legal entities and individual entrepreneurs 18 million roubles.

For Advokatskaya Gazeta, Head of the IP/IT practice at Maxima Legal, Maxim Ali, noted that the law is designed to remove the paradoxical situation that has developed following the last amendment to Article 13.11 of Administrative Code in 2017. “As a result of these changes the standard penalty for violations of the legislation on personal data disappeared, and the special offences did not cover cases of violation by operators localising personal data of Russian citizens. This state of affairs is especially strange against the background of the fact that such a violation may be a reason for blocking an internet site (which happened in LinkedIn’s case)”, Maxim said.

Maxim Ali questioned the reasons for such high fines, given that not only large Internet companies can be held administratively liable. “The establishment of such fines very well demonstrates the state’s current priorities: even the most flagrant violation of a citizen’s interests in the processing of personal data will be 240 times cheaper than failure to comply with localising requirements. Although, it would seem, the legislation on personal data exists primarily to protect the interests of users”, summed up Maxim.

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