Warnings raised over Russian tech giant Yandex's grocery delivery app

Demands are being raised to ban Yango Deli, a service offering 15-minute delivery of food, alcohol and toiletries in London owing to its link with Yandex, Russia’s equivalent to Google, stated reports on Saturday (5).

Yango Deli is one of several ultra-fast grocery delivery services to have arrived in the capital in recent months. It’s yellow-shirted moped drivers deliver grocery items, including fresh fruit and vegetables, Hovis bread and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, as well as running seasonal promotions, such as a 15-minute tree delivery at Christmas and red roses for Valentine’s Day.

According to The Guardian, the app has plans for further expansion as it wants to achieve “nationwide coverage”. The app was launched in London in October 2021.

MPs and analysts have expressed concern over the company’s presence and urged Downing Street to restrict Yandex’s UK operations. Its value has plunged since the invasion but it had an estimated market capitalisation last year of $27bn (£20bn).

“The government currently says that any company that is in any way propping up the Putin regime is potentially on the sanctions list,” she told the Observer. “If that’s the case, this company potentially squarely falls into that.”

“The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office needs to be looking at this company as part of its suite of sanctions,” she added.

Security experts have also raised concerns about the company’s collection of vast amounts of personal data, including customers’ names, geolocation, address, phone number and browsing history, according to the privacy policy that users agree to when they sign up, reports said.