Russia imposes $50.84 million fine on Google

A Russian court imposed a fine of 4.6 billion roubles ($50.84 million) on Google for its alleged failure to remove what Russia deems to be ‘fake’ information related to the Ukraine conflict and other contentious topics, according to TASS news agency.

The fine underscores Russia's escalating tensions with international tech entities, particularly concerning content regulation, censorship, data storage, and local operational requirements. These disputes have intensified notably since Russia's military intervention in Ukraine in February 2022.

Additionally, the RIA news agency highlighted that the penalty also pertained to Google's purported neglect in eliminating content categorised by Russia as "extremist" and the dissemination of what the nation terms as "LGBT propaganda." 

In response to the development, Google has yet to provide a public statement. Russia characterises its military activities in Ukraine as a "special military operation.".

While platforms like Twitter and Meta Platforms' Facebook and Instagram have faced restrictions in Russia, Alphabet's YouTube has evaded such measures thus far. The imposed fine on Google is determined as a proportion of the company's annual turnover within Russia and follows similar turnover-linked penalties of 7.2 billion roubles in late 2021 and 21.1 billion roubles in August 2022.

(With Reuters inputs)