A Moscow court has fined the messenger service Threema €14,200 (CHF14,363) for refusing to share user data with Russian authorities under a domestic anti-terror law.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/gw
Русский
ru
Швейцарский мессенджер Threema оштрафован в России
“The Russian authority Roskomnadzor apparently launched an investigation in March 2022, probably to make an example,” a Threema spokesperson told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. The spokesperson confirmed this information to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Saturday.
Threema was found guilty of disregarding regulations under Russia’s anti-terror law, he added. According to this law, telecommunication companies must store data such as phone calls, text messages, emails, videos and photos on their servers for up to half a year and, if requested, pass them on to the domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB).
“Of course, under no circumstances will we hand over any data to Russian authorities,” Threema boss Martin Blatter is quoted as saying in Welt am Sonntag. The spokesperson argued the company is bound to follow Swiss law, which does not allow the transfer of personal data to third countries – and certainly not to belligerent ones, he added.
Blatter said his company had no intention of paying the fine.
Threema is a competitor of the messenger service Telegram and the American app WhatsApp.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Aussie adoptee gains Swiss citizenship at 54 thanks to old envelope
This content was published on
Switzerland is one of the frontrunners at investing in technology start-ups, according to a study by the European Patent Office.
Geneva university challenges ‘hot Jupiter’ planetary theories
This content was published on
Research led by the University of Geneva challenges current theories about the formation of 'hot Jupiter' planetary systems.
Bankrupt debtors to get second chance in Switzerland
This content was published on
Over-indebted people in Switzerland will be offered a new chance to wipe the slate clean with new procedures to restructure debt.
Swiss drone flights suspended after India incident
This content was published on
Swiss army suspends ADS 15 reconnaissance drone flights following an incident involving a drone of the same type in India.
Zurich traffic signs get gender diversification makeover
This content was published on
The little men depicted on Zurich street signs are to be joined by women, pregnant women, lesbian couples or senior citizens with walking sticks.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Stay or go? The dilemma of Swiss companies in Russia
This content was published on
Caught between potential damage to their image and having their businesses confiscated, Swiss firms active in Russia have a tough choice.
This content was published on
Two Swiss companies are setting up smokescreens to confuse prying eyes on the Internet and protect web users from big tech firms.
Swiss worry about online data protection, want increased regulation
This content was published on
A survey on digitalisation shows people are most concerned about the fate of personal data, but they also believe new technologies hold great promise.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.