Yandex Disk Is Down: Why Moving Your Data to Google Drive Is a Bad Idea and What to Do Instead

What Happened with Yandex Disk

Amid ongoing attacks on Yandex infrastructure, many users have faced Yandex Disk outages. Files stopped opening, synchronization halted, and some lost access to documents at the worst possible moment.

The first reaction is to look for an alternative. And Google Drive comes to mind: a familiar interface, 15 GB free, seamless integration with documents. The solution seems obvious. But this step has serious legal consequences that many people don't consider.

Why Moving Data to Google Drive Is a Risk

From the perspective of Russian law, storing personal data of Russian citizens on foreign servers is a direct violation of Federal Law No. 152-FZ "On Personal Data." According to amendments that came into force back in 2015, an operator is required to store personal data of Russian citizens exclusively on servers located in Russia.

What this means in practice:

• For businesses. If you store a customer database, contracts, correspondence, or any data that can identify a person on Google Drive, you are breaking the law. Fines for this have grown substantially in 2024–2025, reaching millions of rubles, and repeated violations can lead to resource blocking.
• For freelancers and specialists. If you work with clients' personal data (names, phone numbers, emails, passport details), you also become an operator and fall under the law.
• For regular users. Storing personal documents and photos on a foreign service is not formally prosecuted, but it creates risks: access may be restricted, and data may be lost if the service is blocked.

Moreover, Google Drive is a foreign service that can be blocked or restricted at any moment. By moving your data there, you're trading one problem for another — this time with legal consequences.

What Legal Alternatives Exist

The cloud storage market in Russia is not standing still. There are several paths that keep you within the law:

• Russian cloud services. Yandex Disk, Mail.ru Cloud, Sber Cloud, VK Cloud, and others. They store data on Russian territory and comply with 152-FZ requirements.
• Your own server or NAS. If you don't have much data, you can deploy storage yourself. But this requires technical knowledge and maintenance costs.
• A custom web application. The most flexible option for businesses is to commission a cloud storage solution tailored to your needs, hosted on Russian servers.

How We Can Help: Webzella IT

Webzella IT offers a solution that addresses both technical and legal concerns at once.

We develop custom web applications with cloud storage tailored to each client. Here's what that means:

• Data is stored on Russian servers. Full compliance with 152-FZ and other legal requirements.
• The application is built for your needs. No need to adapt to someone else's interface — we build a system that works the way you and your team need it to.
• Full control over your data. You know where your files are, who has access to them, and how they are protected.
• Integration with your services. We connect CRMs, document management systems, analytics — everything you need to work.
• Scalability. The solution grows with your business: from a small team to a large company.

In essence, you get your own "Yandex Disk," configured for you, without the risks associated with third-party outages and foreign jurisdictions.

Conclusion

Yandex Disk outages are unpleasant, but a panicked move to Google Drive can lead to far more serious problems: from fines to data loss. The right path is to use legal Russian solutions or commission custom development.

If you want your own cloud storage that works reliably, securely, and within the law, contact Webzella IT. We'll build a solution for your needs and take care of all the technical aspects.