Russian officials plan to audit 90 different offices for compliance with brand new data localization law

Russia's new law requiring the domestic storage of citizens' online user data takes effect today, and the Kremlin's media watchdog agency, Roskomnadzor, is already planning in September alone to inspect 90 different entities for compliance. The new regulations on data-storage localization affect not just businesses, Roskomnadzor says, and the agency plans to inspect state institutions and schools, as well.

In comments to RSN radio, Roskomnadzor's press secretary, Vadim Ampelonsky, said the agency has negotiated compliance agreements with several major tech and online companies, including eBay, PayPal, Samsung, Lenovo, Uber, and Booking.com.

Negotiations with Facebook are rumored to be less harmonious, and some Russian media outlets have reported that Facebook is refusing to comply with Russia's new data-localization law, though officials deny this. Roskomnadzor has said the soonest it would consider inspecting Facebook's compliance with the new law is in 2016, giving the social network until at least the end of the year to decide if it wishes to store user data on servers in Russia.

Despite the sweeping applicability of Russia's new data-localization law, officials have made several notable exclusions, including Twitter (which the state says does not technically store "user data") and online air-travel reservation systems, including airlines' global distribution systems.