Russia Fines Google and Discord for Content Violations

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia fined Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s Google and instant messaging platform Discord on Monday for failing to delete or restrict access to online information, according to the Moscow courts’ press service.

Russia has mandated foreign technology platforms for several years to remove content it considers illegal, issuing small yet persistent 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 penalized for not removing content deemed illegal by Russia, while Discord was fined for failing to restrict access to banned information.

Neither Google nor Discord responded immediately to requests for comment.

Google has faced particular scrutiny in Russia, especially regarding its content management and the blocking of YouTube channels belonging to Russian media and public figures since the invasion of Ukraine.

($1 = 92.9000 roubles)