Latvian Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD) has decided to annul the registration and permit of website and mobile app service provider Yandex Taxi. It has also been decided to block Yandex Go mobile app, as confirmed by CSDD representative Zane Plone.
She explained that this decision was made based on the fact that the service in question provides data exchange with servers located in Russia.
Thereby all electronic communications businesses will be sent a request to block Yandex Go website and mobile app.
From Wednesday, 23 March, onward carriers will not be allowed to use Yandex Go app. This service provider will not be allowed to provide services in Latvia any more.
She also mentioned that in accordance with the Law on Carriage by Road, motorists and carriers who continue using Yandex Go app may be subject to a fine for using an unregistered website.
CSDD, having performed an evaluation of the situation when it comes to the data flow to and from Yandex Go mobile app, identified IP addresses to and from which the app sends/receives data and found that Yandex Go exchanges data with Russia-based servers. Therefore it was concluded that data about commercial services, drivers, vehicles and payment card data are sent for possible processing to services located in Russia.
CSDD board chairman Kristiāns Godiņš notes that provision of data to countries that are not members of the EU or NATO is a severe crime that puts at risk the country’s security and creates the risk of data about Latvian and foreign residents who use the website or mobile app being leaked. This is the reason why it has been decided to annul the registration of the website and mobile app service provider Yandex Taxi.
The directorate is working on a blocking request to be sent to all electronic communication providers, says Godiņš.
This is the second time CSDD has decided to block operations of Yandex Go in Latvia.
In March 2020 Yandex Taxi mobile app and taxi.yandex.lv website were blocked because the service provider was not registered with CSDD but continued providing commercial carrying services.
From 22 January 2020 onward website and mobile app service providers using which it is possible to order and pay for road carrying services have to be registered with CSDD. Those not registered are not allowed to offer services in Latvia.
Additionally, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU has imposed sanctions on Russian Yandex CEO Tigran Hudaverdyan. After being added on the list of EU sanctions he stepped down from this post.
Latvia to block operations of Russian-based Yandex Go service
