In Russia, the Putin regime is trying to nationalize Yandex to control the information space during the presidential elections. This was announced by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on Thursday, August 10.
Yandex may have been trying to strike a balance between the Kremlin and its external authorities, but now it seems to be losing the battle against the Kremlin.
According to ISW, the Kremlin is forcing Yandex to sell or exit international subsidiaries, including the Yango Israel taxi service, to comply with Russian data disclosure laws that require Yandex to provide Russia’s Federal Security Service with the data of all users, not just in Russia. But also outside.
The Russian government has previously fined Yandex for not complying with this law, despite Yandex’s claims that it could not provide the required data.
The Russian government has also previously fined Yandex CEO Artem Savinovsky for not complying with Russian censorship laws, possibly in an attempt to force Yandex to follow Russian censorship laws not only in Russia but worldwide to blow up its global operations and user base.
Officials at the IT company have previously said that Yandex strives to comply with the laws in every country it operates in. They have condemned Russian data collection efforts, claiming they provide it to the governments of the users’ countries.
Some insider Russian sources have suggested that Alexei Kudrin, Yandex’s corporate development consultant, was trying to turn Yandex into a national private company controlled by Yuri Kovalchuk, Putin’s banker.
Reuters said its sources at Yandex fear a “brain drain” if the Kremlin nationalizes the company, as many of its employees have left Russia since the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin is likely aware of these concerns, as investors with ties to Kremlin officials recently bid to buy Yandex.
The possible transfer of Yandex to the offices of the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian President Sergey Kiriyenko suggests that Putin is seeking to reward Kiriyenko for his loyalty, especially after the June 24 Wagner uprising.
Experts suggest that Putin is likely rewarding Kiriyenko to ensure his loyalty ahead of the 2024 presidential election, especially given that he has been the Kremlin’s representative for affairs and elections in occupied Ukraine.
