A Russian court has imposed a record fine of 8 billion roubles, around $77.9 million, on Alphabet’s Google for failing to comply with the previous orders of the penalty. The decision of the Chertanovo District Court in Moscow has suddenly increased the typical fines of around 4 million roubles for foreign technology platforms violating the law of the land in Russia.
Russian Court Imposes Fine on Google on Company’s Failure to Comply With Earlier Administrative Sentence
This latest fine follows a long period of tensions between Moscow and foreign tech companies, in particular those providing platforms where criticism against the Russian government is allowed. In a court decision Tuesday, it was not specified what the specific offense was, but the fine was connected to Google’s failure to comply with an earlier administrative sentence. Russian authorities have pressed demands constantly on foreign platforms to remove content that, according to the courts, is illegal under Russian law.
But of course, YouTube has been the biggest target of these actions. What was once 50 million daily users in Russia is now down to 12 million, according to Google’s own data. Critics say the decline in those numbers is because Russian authorities have been deliberately working to disrupt YouTube to slow download speeds and limit access to anti-government content. However, the Russian authorities have dismissed these allegations, saying that such failures are only occurring due to Google’s failure to upgrade its equipment.
When Did the Matter Become Heat?
Tensions escalated further in December when Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Google of being a tool of the U.S. government to advance political agendas. It is an ongoing battle that places increased pressure on foreign tech firms operating in Russia, especially those providing platforms for political discourses.
The fine is huge and not only means a financial penalty for Google but also shows greater challenges faced by international tech giants in Russia, where the regulatory environment is becoming increasingly unforgiving.
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