EDITOR'S COMMENT
• Airbnb has again been the subject of concerns over its data-sharing / storage procedures, although it is Russia that is now targeting the home-sharing company and other Silicon Valley tech firms over alleged "violations" of personal data legislation.
Following the claims by Roskomnadzor, Russia's national communications regulator, that the likes of Airbnb, Google, Apple and more had breached data storage legislation in the country, it is believed the firms in question could face fines of up to $90,000 [six million roubles].
It is a prime case of how travel, technology and political tensions can quickly become intertwined. The Russian regulator's concerns about personal data being stored runs in parallel with the country's accelerating censorship of content since President Putin's order to invade Ukraine on 24 February. A growing number of multinational corporations are curtailing operations in Russia as stringent government regulations place severe restrictions on businesses.
In the past months, Airbnb has announced plans to shutter its domestic tourism business in China over similar data concerns and cancelled all reservations for stays or Experiences in Russia and Belarus due to the Ukraine invasion. At a time when Marriott International said it was finally ceasing operations in Russia, global travel and hospitality firms will have little choice but to leave given the public perception and restrictions from the US, UK and EU.
• We're back for another Dragon's Den / Shark Tank-style RockSTRz session tomorrow [4pm BST] as three up-and-coming short-term rental startups pitch for potential investment in the second Pitch to Paul webinar.
Do show your support for Storied Collection, trustd.ai and StayBillety as they present their businesses by signing up to this week's no-cost session here. Learn more about each of the startups pitching here.
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