Russia has imposed fines on Alphabet's Google and the instant messaging platform Discord for their failure to delete or restrict access to certain online information, according to the Moscow courts' press service.
For several years, Russia has mandated that foreign technology platforms remove content it considers illegal, consistently issuing fines for non-compliance. The Tagansky district court in Moscow fined both Google and Discord 3.5 million roubles ($37,674.92) each.
Google was fined for not removing content deemed illegal by Russia, while Discord was penalized for failing to restrict access to banned information. Neither Google nor Discord immediately responded to requests for comment.
Google has faced particular scrutiny in Russia, not only for content issues but also for blocking YouTube channels associated with Russian media and public figures since the invasion of Ukraine by Moscow.
