Tech giants' relief: The financial obligations of major tech companies Google, Meta, TikTok, and Telegram in Russia appear to have been settled, as they are no longer listed as debtors in the state bailiffs' database. The fines, imposed by Russian courts, seem to have been addressed, according to the database accessed by Reuters on Wednesday. Notably, Alphabet's Google, YouTube, Meta, TikTok, and Telegram did not provide immediate responses to requests for comments, and state bailiffs could not be reached for clarification.

The database still reflects outstanding fines for X (formerly Twitter) and Twitch, amounting to 51 million roubles ($560,730) and 23 million roubles ($252,879), respectively.

Tech tensions post Russia-Ukraine war

The ongoing disputes between Russia and foreign technology companies revolve around concerns related to alleged unlawful content and the failure to store user data locally. These tensions have heightened since the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022. In the aftermath of the invasion, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram faced blocks, while Google-owned YouTube became a focal point of criticism from the Russian government.

In late 2023, a Russian court imposed a fine of 4.6 billion roubles ($50.4 million) on Google, calculated as a percentage of its annual turnover in Russia. Similarly, Meta, characterised as an "extremist" in 2022, has faced fines proportional to its Russian revenue. The developments underscore the ongoing complexities in the relationship between Russian authorities and global tech entities.

(With Reuters Inputs)