Moscow Court Orders Google To Pay Another Fine For Failing To Delete Banned Content

A Russian court has ordered Google to pay another hefty fine for violating the country’s rules on banned content, as Moscow continues to push foreign firms to open offices in Russia and store Russians' personal data on its territory.

The magistrate court of Moscow's Taganka district on September 29 ruled that Google must pay a total of 6.5 million rubles ($89,400) for failure to delete banned content in two cases.

Court spokeswoman Zulfiya Gurinchuk said in a statement that the U.S. technology giant is facing a similar charge in another case to be heard on November 8.

In recent months, the same court ordered Google to pay fines totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars over content, as well as for refusing to localize the personal data of its users in Russia.

Moscow courts have also fined Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Telegram, and TikTok on similar charges.

Earlier on September 29, Russia threatened to block YouTube, which is owned by Google, after Russian state-backed broadcaster RT's German-language channels were deleted from the video-sharing platform.

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused social media platforms and other tech giants of flouting the country's Internet laws, including a push seeking to force foreign firms to open offices in Russia.

Many critics say the push has nothing to do with "Internet integrity" and instead accuse the authorities of trying to quell dissent amid a decrease in the popularity of Putin and the ruling United Party.

Based on reporting by RIA Novosti, TASS and Interfax