A Russian court has fined
4.6 billion roubles (approx $50.84 million) for failing to delete alleged fake and prohibited information, particularly about the conflict in
Ukraine
.
According to news agency Reuters, the fine has been imposed due to Google failing to remove “extremist content” and the distribution of what
Russia
calls “LGBT propaganda”.
The fine was calculated as a share of Google's annual turnover in Russia.
In November this year, a Moscow court fined Google for failing to store personal data on its Russian users. Google was fined 15 million rubles (about $164,200) after the company refused to store personal data on Russian citizens inside the country.
Google was previously fined over the same charges in August 2021 and June 2022. Google also was ordered to pay a 3 million ruble (about $32,800) fine in August for failing to delete allegedly false information about the conflict in Ukraine.
Google was fined 7.2 billion roubles in late 2021 and 21.1 billion roubles in August 2022.
Tech companies ‘struggle’ in Russia
Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia has been at odds with technology companies – including
Meta
’s Facebook,
and YouTube – over content, censorship, data and local representation. Russia calls the conflict in Ukraine a “special military operation”.
Google-owned YouTube has been a target of the Russian state's ire, however, the country has chosen not to ban it. Meanwhile, companies like Twitter and Meta-owned platforms are blocked in the country.
Russia's Supreme Court ruled last month that LGBT activists should be designated as “extremists” in a move that representatives of gay and transgender people fear will lead to arrests and prosecutions.
English (US) ·