Russia has handed Google a US$365 million fine (21.1 billion rubles; A$536.22 million) for failing to remove content that goes against Russian laws, including news relating to the war in Ukraine.
Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor hit out at the tech giant, stating that YouTube failed to remove “prohibited content” including “fakes about the course of the special military operation in Ukraine, discrediting the armed forces of the Russian Federation”.
This comes after the local Google branch was declared bankrupt last month, having had their bank account and assets seized in recent months and allowing Russia to claim 7.2 billion rubles (A$180 million) previously ordered on similar grounds.
The fine represents a large portion of Google’s annual revenue from Russia, but it has not yet been clarified if Google intends to pay the fine.
Google is one of many tech giants to have publicly stood against Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, with Russian users restricted in their ability to use the search engine. Additionally, Google has paused ad sales in the country, demonetised Russian YouTube channels and restricted access to said channels.
Google has not yet commented on the matter.
