Google is planning to close its Russian engineering office after the government passed restrictive laws which have curbed internet freedom in the country.
The engineering centre employs around 50 engineers, mostly in Moscow, who will be given an option to relocate following the office closure, reported The Information.
Fortune reported a Google spokesman as saying: "We are deeply committed to our Russian users and customers and we have a dedicated team in Russia working to support them."
Starting next year, new laws for Internet companies will be introduced which will require information on Russian citizens to be stored in the country’s data centers.
Another law passed by the government requires bloggers with more than 3,000 followers to register with the Russian government, reported the Wall Street Journal.
The search giant is already facing tough competition in the country, as Russian search engine Yandex NV claimed to controlling more than 60% of the country’s search market in the third quarter of 2014.
In September Adobe Systems also shut its Russian office.
