Russian authorities on Thursday ordered Facebook and messaging app Telegram to pay hefty fines for failing to remove banned content, a move that could be part of the government’s growing efforts to take control of social media platforms amid political developments Increase disagreements.
A Moscow court fined Facebook 17 million rubles (around $ 236,000) and Telegram 10 million rubles ($ 139,000). It wasn’t immediately clear what type of content the platforms couldn’t remove.
It was the second time both companies had been fined in the past few weeks. On May 25, Facebook was fined 26 million rubles (US $ 362,000) for failing to remove content deemed illegal by the Russian authorities. A month ago, Telegram was also fined 5 million rubles (US $ 69,000) for failing to answer calls to protest.
Earlier this year, Russia’s state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, began slowing down Twitter and threatened to ban it, including for alleged failure to remove illegal content. Officials alleged the platform failed to remove content encouraging child suicide and containing information about drugs and child pornography.
The raid unfolded after Russian authorities criticized social media platforms that took tens of thousands of people onto the streets across Russia this year to seek the release of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the most famous critic of President Vladimir Putin, to promote. The wave of demonstrations is a great challenge for the Kremlin.
Officials alleged social media platforms did not remove calls for children to join the protests. Putin has called on the police to take more action to monitor social media platforms and track down those who mislead children into “illegal and unauthorized street actions”.
The Russian government’s efforts to tighten control over the internet and social media date back to 2012, when a law was passed that allows authorities to blacklist and block certain online content . Since then, more and more restrictions on messaging apps, websites and social media platforms have been introduced in Russia.
The government has repeatedly issued threats to block Facebook and Twitter but stood before complete bans, likely fearing the move would cause too much public outrage. Only the social network LinkedIn, which is not very popular in Russia, was blocked by the authorities because it does not store user data in Russia.
