The Russian government has made many efforts to restrict the Internet. In this regard, the pressure on technology companies and social networks operating in Russia to remove content and censorship has increased. This is not the first time that Google has been fined for banned content in Russia. Dates back to May, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media of Russia, also known as Roskomnadzor, asked Google to remove over 26,000 “illegal” content. “Russia has ordered companies to delete posts promoting drug abuse and dangerous pastimes, information about homemade weapons and explosives, as well as ones by groups it designates as extremist or terrorist,” Reuters reports. Moreover, content that spreads “gay propaganda” is also known as sensitive content and must be removed. Of course, Russia also closely monitors the political content. Several months ago, amid widespread protests, a count in Russia asked Google to remove 12 YouTube videos related to the protests in the country.
Russia imposing more pressure on foreign and domestic tech companies
Google is not the only foreign tech company in Russia that has faced fines over banned content. The Meta, formerly known as Facebook, and its subsidiary, Instagram, have to pay 2 billion roubles ($27.15 million) in fines to the Russian government for failing to remove banned content. The Russian government has requested the removal of 2,000 illegal content from Meta. This number is 2,600 for Google. The government has also decided to introduce revenue-based fines to make fines heavier. The Russian government has asked foreign tech companies to set up local servers for their online services. The possible fines for not following this law are not yet clear. But it is clear that if not accompanied, there will be restrictions for these companies. Also, further restrictions may reduce the investment of foreign companies in Russia.
