A Moscow court on Monday fined Google 21 billion rubles ($360 million) for failing to remove content related to Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, the communications regulator said.
Roskomnadzor said Google-owned video platform YouTube failed to block “false information” about the terrorist attack in Ukraine, “extremist and terrorist propaganda” and content “inviting minors to participate in unsanctioned demonstrations.”
While the ruling is a new verdict for Google, the amount of the fine is based on the company’s annual income in Russia.
The Russian authorities have recently stepped up pressure on Western social media with repeated fines and threats in an attempt to remove criticism from the Internet, one of Russia’s last strongholds of free speech.
Like many of its Western competitors, Google recently pulled out of the Russian market to denounce Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.
Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted expert Vladimir Zyukov as saying the fine is the largest fine ever imposed by a Russian court on a Western technology company.
He added that the Russian authorities could impose “as many fines as they want on Google, and you won’t get any money” because the company left the country.
Google has not yet commented on the fine.
Roskomnadzor characterized the activities of Google and YouTube as “terrorist” in March, setting the stage for a possible ban in Russia, as did Twitter, Instagram and many independent media at the start of the military operation.
Russian authorities have tightened legal sanctions against critics of the conflict. Those convicted of disseminating “false information” face up to 15 years in prison.
Several people have been imprisoned on these charges.
