The Russian upper house's Commission for the Protection of State Sovereignty invited Facebook and Google to set up a joint contact group to avoid violations of Russian laws on these platforms, the commission's chairman, Andrei Klimov, said on Thursda
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th September, 2019) The Russian upper house's Commission for the Protection of State Sovereignty invited Facebook and Google to set up a joint contact group to avoid violations of Russian laws on these platforms, the commission's chairman, Andrei Klimov, said on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the Russian communications watchdog said the companies had published political ads on the Election Day in Russia despite warnings.
"Facebook and Google did notice our legitimate reaction. Now, we are starting to receive signals that they want to form a sort of a contact group to avoid any further misunderstandings," the senator said.
The lawmaker noted that the commission decided to form such a group, if the companies were ready for that.
"At the session of the commission we decided to offer them this opportunity and, if they are ready, to form a contact group," Klimov said.
According to him, this group might include representatives of "relevant agencies."
Responding to the proposal, Google told Sputnik that it could add nothing at this point.
Ahead of the Election Day, which was on Sunday, Google and Facebook received warnings from the Russian communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, urging them and their affiliates to prevent the spread of political ads.
The two companies have been repeatedly criticized in many countries, including Russia, over manipulating the votes and harvesting personal data for political purposes.
