MOSCOW, September 28 (RAPSI) – Moscow’s Tagansky District Court has set November 10 as the date for hearing of appeals filed by Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp against fines totaling 36 million rubles (about $500,000) imposed on the companies for breaching legislation as to the localization of the users’ personal data in Russia, the court’s press service has told RAPSI.

In late August, the court fined WhatsApp 4 million rubles; Facebook was fined 15 million rubles and Twitter was fined 17 million rubles.

The messenger was found guilty of the first violation of law requirements, while the social networks were penalized for the repeated violation.

In April, Russia’s communications watchdog Roskomnadzor urged several foreign companies to submit documents confirming that they keep and process Russians’ personal data within the country.

The operator must ensure recording, systematization, keeping, updating, changing and recovery of data of Russian users with the use of databases locating within the country, according to the agency. These rules provide the sufficient level of data security, according to Roskomnadzor.