Yandex Food – The Russian Company Yandex Plans to Expand Its Business into Georgia

Yandex, the Russian tech giant, is planning to expand its business into Georgia. Although Yandex has re-registered its platform business offshore in the Netherlands to evade sanctions, it remains a Russian company. This re-registration has effectively turned Yandex into a tool for avoiding international sanctions. Currently, the company is primarily focused on passenger transportation services in Georgia, but it has ambitious expansion plans for the region.

Naturally, Georgia, which is under Russian occupation, falls within Yandex's expansion strategy.
There has long been concern among international political and business circles about Yandex’s close ties to Russian intelligence agencies. It is widely believed that Yandex serves as a vast database for personal information, which is readily accessible to these agencies and is continually updated.
The British publication The Guardian reported that Yandex’s restructuring process has maximized Russian government oversight, prompting protests from British Parliament members. They called for a ban on Yandex’s operations in the UK, citing the risk of personal data leaks to Russian intelligence. Similarly, The Guardian reported that the Lithuanian government requested the removal of Yandex apps from Google and Apple stores, deeming them a threat to national security.

International media frequently highlight the risks Yandex poses to customer data security. Despite these concerns, Yandex operates freely in Georgia without significant public warnings. The Georgian population remains largely unaware that using Yandex services, including food delivery, could compromise their personal information, which may be monitored by Russian intelligence.
Given the current lack of restrictive legislation on such business practices, it is crucial to consider running a public awareness campaign. This campaign should aim to inform Georgians about the potential risks of using Yandex services. Government bodies, media outlets, and civil society organizations should work together to ensure that users and service providers, such as taxi drivers, make informed decisions about their involvement with Yandex.

Otherwise, there is a risk that personal data and even details about food consumption could continuously flow to the databases of the occupying country’s intelligence agencies.