Russia Fines Google $364 Million for Hosting Anti-Russian Videos

Google got here underneath hearth from Russian authorities but once more on Monday for the corporate’s ongoing flubs in eradicating content material that the nation had deemed unlawful. Specifically, in keeping with an official Telegram post from the Roskomnadzor, Russia’s telecom regulator, the corporate had failed to tug down clips from Russian YouTube that promoted “extremism and terrorism,” and anti-Russian propaganda centered on the nation’s ongoing war with Ukraine. For these failures, Google’s being charged simply over 21 billion rubles—or about $364 million USD.

Right now, YouTube is the final Western platform nonetheless standing in Russia following the nation’s crackdown on Facebook and Twitter this previous March over the 2 platform’s failure to tug content material deemed to include “misinformation” concerning the conflict in Ukraine. But whereas Russian authorities have totally banned Facebook and Instagram and restricted most citizen’s entry to Twitter, officers have made it pretty clear that there are no plans to axe entry to the video-streaming platform—a minimum of not but.

People have give you different theories for why Russian authorities simply can’t stop YouTube, however the prevailing one is that the platform is just too subtle to recreate on Russian soil. Facebook and Twitter, in the meantime, had been quickly replaced with the favored Russian social community VK and the considerably questionable messaging app Telegram, respectively.

Russian authorities may not be prepared to totally give Google the boot, however they haven’t made issues simple for the tech big, both. Earlier this 12 months, Russian bailiffs seized 7.7 billion roubles—about $143 million—from the corporate’s financial institution accounts after it had didn’t cough up a high-quality it had been issued over alleged anti-Russian content material final 12 months.

Alphabet, Google’s father or mother firm, is value some $1.5 trillion, however the Russian authorities’s fines have been sufficient for Google’s Russian wing to file for bankruptcy of their quick wake.

According to Roskomnadzor’s announcement, submitting for chapter didn’t cease the platform from selling the identical anti-war content material that bought it into this costly mess within the first place. Aside from “misinformation” concerning the ongoing battle with Ukraine, the announcement alleges YouTube was additionally internet hosting appeals—together with appeals to minors—to “participate in unauthorized mass actions,” presumably to protest that very same conflict. Roskomnadzor additionally stated the corporate was internet hosting content material that promoted “an indifferent attitude to the life and health of minors,” regardless of the heck meaning.

We’ve reached out to Google concerning the newest spherical of fines, and can replace right here after we hear again.