If you’re in Russia and you use LinkedIn for professional purposes, it seems that you will no longer be able to use the service. According to a report from the New York Times, the Russian government has ordered both Apple and Google to remove the LinkedIn app from their respective app stores.Prior to the removal, the Russian government had blocked access to the website which in turn kind of messed up the way the app worked. What this meant is that the apps were no longer functional, but Russia’s insistence of the removal of the apps from the app stores could be setting a precedent, one that neither Apple nor Google might particularly like.
For those wondering, the reason for the block and removal of the apps is due to LinkedIn not storing its data on Russian citizens within the country’s borders. There have been similar requests made in the past in other countries of other companies, like several years ago where India insisted that companies such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter setup servers in the country.
It is unclear as to what LinkedIn plans to do (or if they will comply), but the company has expressed their disappointment in the decision and according to Nicole Leverich, a spokeswoman for the company, “It denies access to our members in Russia and the companies that use LinkedIn to grow their businesses.”
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