Russia Orders Discord to Remove Illegal Content

(Reuters) – Russia’s communications regulator has ordered the instant messaging platform Discord to delete almost 1,000 materials it deems illegal. This includes posts containing child pornography and promoting drug abuse, as reported by the TASS news agency on Tuesday.

San Francisco-based Discord and the regulator, Roskomnadzor, did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Roskomnadzor is demanding the removal of 947 illegal materials, which include:
– Posts containing child pornography
– Calls for extremism
– Involvement of minors in illegal activity
– Calls for suicide
– LGBT propaganda
– Pro-drug content

For several years, Russia has ordered foreign technology platforms to remove content it considers illegal, issuing relatively small but regular fines for non-compliance.

Last year, Moscow expanded restrictions on what it terms “LGBT propaganda” as part of a broader crackdown on LGBT rights, driven by President Vladimir Putin’s push to promote traditional values.

Discord has previously failed to remove banned material, leading to a recent fine of 3.5 million roubles ($37,493) on Monday for illegal content.

Historically, Russia has banned social media platforms that do not comply with its content regulations.

($1 = 93.3500 roubles)