On Tuesday, Moscow’s Tagansky District Court said that Russia has fined Alphabet’s Google 9 million roubles in the latest chain of penalties against the tech giant for failing to delete content deemed illegal by the Russian government. Moscow’s Tagansky District Court cited legislation that said this may include posts containing child pornography, extremist activities, or the promotion of drug use.
Pressure on foreign tech companies operating in Russia has increased this year, with Moscow demanding that 13 foreign tech companies set up in Russia by January 1 or face possible restrictions or full-fledged bans. It's a campaign that critics are calling an attempt to exert tighter control over the internet, which they say threatens corporate and individual freedom.
Both Google and Meta Platforms face court cases this month for repeatedly violating Russian legislation on content. The tech giants could be fined a percentage of their annual Russian revenue.
This year, Google has already paid over 32 million roubles in fines and has significantly reduced the number of posts prohibited by Russian legislation.
