Moscow court fines Google $44,336 over banned content

A Moscow court has fined Google $44,336 over content on YouTube that Russian authorities said violated the country's laws.

According to the protocols drawn up against the company, the fines were tied to YouTube videos that authorities said promoted what Russian law terms 'non-traditional sexual relations,' a category used under Russia's laws restricting LGBTQ-related content, as well as videos accused of discrediting the Russian army, a separate offense introduced under wartime legislation restricting criticism of the military.

Russia has fined major technology platforms, including Google and YouTube, repeatedly in recent years over content moderation disputes, as authorities have sought to enforce domestic content laws on foreign-based platforms that host material Russian officials consider objectionable. These fines have mounted into substantial sums over time, though enforcement against companies with no significant physical presence in Russia has often proven difficult to collect.

Laws restricting so-called non-traditional relationships and content deemed to discredit the military have both been used by Russian authorities to penalize a range of content, from LGBTQ-related material to reporting and commentary critical of the war in Ukraine.

Google has not been noted as issuing a detailed public response to this specific fine.