October 19, 2023

Not My Cab of Tea


Not My Cab of Tea
A Yango car in Helsinki, Finland. Nerdbird89, Wikimedia Commons.

As reported by Bloomberg, Yango, Russian tech giant Yandex's ride-sharing app, is under scrutiny for potential breaches of European Union data protection regulations

The Dutch Data Protection Authority is investigating the operations of Yango on suspicion that the app may be involved in the unauthorized transfer of user data to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). The investigation seeks to ensure the protection of user data and privacy rights in the Netherlands.

A report published by Meduza in August revealed that all user data from taxi trips booked through Yandex services abroad is being sent to Russia. Two anonymous Yandex employees told Meduza that taxi service data is stored in Russian data centers.

This raises concerns that user info from foreign taxi services might be accessible to the FSB, due to new laws that went into effect September 1, 2023, granting the FSB access to passenger taxi order databases.

The company officially stated it would not provide the FSB with overseas trip data, and stated in a press release, “Data on trips can be obtained exclusively by law enforcement agencies of the country where the trip was made, according to the procedures prescribed in local laws: this is how Russian legislation and the legislation of most other countries works. After the entry into force of the taxi law from September 1, this logic will not change.”

You Might Also Like

  • August 15, 2023

"I Am Horrified"

The founder of Russian tech giant Yandex publicly condemns the War on Ukraine.
Yandexit
  • December 06, 2022

Yandexit

Russia's homegrown tech giant is collapsing under pressure from state censorship and the war in Ukraine.
Like Uber for Booze
  • January 20, 2021

Like Uber for Booze

Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade has thrown its support behind a measure for distance-selling alcohol.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955