Russian court fines Google $50.8 mn over ‘fake’ Ukraine information

A Russian court fined Alphabet’s Google on Wednesday 4.6 billion roubles ($50.84 million) for failing to delete so-called “fake” information about the conflict in Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported.


A Russian court fined Alphabet’s Google on Wednesday 4.6 billion roubles ($50.84 million) for failing to delete so-called “fake” information about the conflict in Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported.

 


Russia has been at loggerheads with foreign technology companies over content, censorship, data and local representation in a simmering dispute that intensified after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.


Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 


Russia calls the conflict in Ukraine a “special military operation”.

 


Alphabet’s YouTube has been a particular target of the Russian state’s ire but, unlike Twitter and Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Instagram, it has not been blocked.

 


The fine was calculated as a share of Google’s annual turnover in Russia. The company was handed similar turnover-based penalties of 7.2 billion roubles in late 2021 and 21.1 billion roubles in August 2022.

First Published: Dec 20 2023 | 11:56 PM IST