Temporary storage of Russian citizens' data abroad proposed due

The Association of Internet Companies (AKIT) has sent a proposal to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to temporarily allow the storage of Russian citizens' personal data in friendly countries. The initiative is linked to the growing number of attacks on Russia's data center infrastructure.

The letter was sent on October 15 amid incidents involving drones that damaged server facilities. Recent infrastructure damage led to disruptions in Yandex services, accelerating the need for measures.

Proposed measures concern companies affected by accidents and infrastructure damage. They will be able to transfer critical systems to foreign backup data centers.

• System transfers are possible only with confirmed accidents or infrastructure damage
• The validity period of the temporary permit is limited to the recovery period, but no later than March 1, 2028
• The list of permissible countries will be determined by the authorized state body

AKIT proposes developing the permit issuance procedure jointly with the Ministry of Digital Development and Roskomnadzor. This will create clear legal frameworks for such situations.

The Big Data Association, which includes Yandex, VK, and Sber, has evaluated the initiative as a logical anti-crisis measure. Market participants support the possibility of using foreign capacities to ensure business continuity.