A Russian court has fined Alphabet’s Google 3 million roubles (approximately $38,600) for not removing YouTube videos that allegedly promoted “LGBT propaganda” and disseminated false information about Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, according to local news agencies. This fine comes as part of Moscow’s ongoing efforts to increase control over the content available to Russian internet users. In recent years, the country has implemented strict censorship laws, including a reinforcement of its laws against so-called “LGBT propaganda.”
Widening Interpretation of “LGBT Propaganda”
Russia’s new law broadens the interpretation of what constitutes “LGBT propaganda.” The legislation, which has been widely criticized by independent human rights groups, subjects any action or spreading of information considered as promoting homosexuality in public, online, or in films, books, or advertising to heavy fines.
Google’s Refusal to Remove Content
Russian prosecutors claim that Google refused to take down several YouTube videos, including one from a blogger designated as a “foreign agent” by Moscow. This video discussed how same-sex couples raise children and the LGBT community in St. Petersburg. The refusal to remove such content has led to the imposition of the fine on Google’s Russian subsidiary.
The Russian branch of Alphabet’s Google filed for bankruptcy last year after authorities seized its bank accounts, following a December 2021 fine of 7.2 billion roubles (about $92.6 million) for the company’s “repeated failure” to delete content as mandated by Russian authorities.