Russia to leave the Opera software market

The company announced it will stop working in the country after more than two decades

Opera, the Norwegian web browser company, announced on Friday that it will stop working in Russia after more than two decades of providing services and products to the Russian market. The company's decision comes after a recent law passed by the Russian government requiring foreign tech companies with more than 500,000 daily users to open a legal entity in the country. Opera cited the new legislation as the main reason for its withdrawal from Russia.

Opera entered the Russian market in 1998 and quickly became one of the most popular web browsers in the country. The company's products, including its Opera browser and Opera Mini, have been widely used by Russian users for accessing the internet and browsing the web. However, the recent law passed by the Russian government has made it difficult for foreign tech companies to operate in the country. The law requires foreign tech companies with more than 500,000 daily users to open a legal entity in Russia, which would subject them to Russian law and potentially allow the government to access their data.

The company's decision to leave Russia is a significant blow to the Russian tech industry

Opera's withdrawal from Russia is a significant blow to the Russian tech industry. The company's products have been widely used by Russian users for accessing the internet and browsing the web. Opera's decision to leave Russia is also a sign of the increasing challenges that foreign tech companies are facing in the country. The Russian government has been taking a more aggressive approach to regulating the tech industry in recent years, and the new law requiring foreign tech companies to open a legal entity in the country is just the latest example of this trend.

It is unclear what the long-term impact of Opera's withdrawal from Russia will be. However, the company's decision is a clear sign of the challenges that foreign tech companies are facing in the country. The Russian government's increasingly aggressive approach to regulating the tech industry is likely to make it difficult for foreign tech companies to operate in the country in the future.