Russia intends to create a social media for employment and networking – an analogue of American LinkedIn blocked in Russia in 2016, RBC reports.
The Digital Public Administration federal project datasheet stipulates that the Russian LinkedIn will be developed on the basis of the existing Work in Russia resource. The government has allocated about RUR 360 mio ($5.4 mio) for this. The Rostrud federal service for employment created the trudvsem.ru website back in 2009, but it has not gained popularity among job seekers over the last decade while the market was led by job.ru, hh.ru, superjob.ru and rabota.ru. In spring 2018, a social network of business contacts, Skillsnet, appeared on the Work in Russia portal – even then, it was expected to become an analogue of LinkedIn.
It is not yet clear where exactly the $5.4 mio will go – quite an impressive amount by website-building standards; what we do know is that the portal will be redesigned and integrated with the state Profession Directory resource, and machine learning technologies will be introduced for the selection of job openings. A mobile app is also planned.
LinkedIn was blocked in Russia in 2016 for violating the personal data law – according to the Roskomnadzor communications and media regulator, the website processed personal data without the consent of its users and stored Russian users’ data outside the territory of our country.