Foreign Hosting Providers Reluctant to Register in Russia

Foreign hosting providers have not submitted a single application to Roskomnadzor (RKN) for registration in the special registry. As of now, the registry includes 266 providers, with 44 applications under review. However, Rusonyx notes that there are technically some foreign companies in the registry. For example, ActiveCloud operates in both Belarus and Russia, and its local legal entity, LLC “Activhost Ru,” is owned by Cyprus-based ActiveCloud Holding Limited.

Several foreign hosting providers have operated in Russia, but some of them—such as GoDaddy and Hetzner—have previously announced their intention to leave the market. In December 2023, RKN issued 11 violation reports against companies that failed to comply with the law, which, among other things, requires them to establish a representative office or branch in Russia.

Experts believe that due to sanctions, none of the foreign hosting companies will risk their business by meeting these requirements. Additionally, the new regulations require providers to implement phone and Russian card authorization, install systems for operational investigative activities (SORM), connect to the State System for Detection, Prevention, and Elimination of Computer Attacks (GosSOPKA), and more.

In mid-January, courts fined foreign hosting providers a total of 367 million rubles. Among those fined were Kamatera, Bluehost, Hetzner, and Amazon. According to Russian law, at the direction of RKN, search engines must stop displaying information about foreign hosting providers that have not localized their business in Russia.