A court in Russia on Thursday fined Google 3 million roubles ($38,600) for failing to delete YouTube videos that promoted “LGBT propaganda” and “false information” about Russia’s military activities in Ukraine.
Moscow has levied dozens of fines against Western tech companies and passing strict censorship laws.
Under the law, Russia’s interpretation “LGBT propaganda” has been heavily criticised by human rights groups. The law states any action to promote homosexuality in public, online, in films, books, or advertising, and offenders will be fined.
Russian prosecutors stated that Google refused to take down videos posted on YouTube. Some of the videos included one from a blogger seen as a “foreign agent” by Moscow about how same-sex couples raise children.
In 2022, the Russian subsidiary of Alphabet’s Google filed for bankruptcy after Russian authorities seized the bank accounts after a December 2021 fine of 7.2 billion roubles ($92.6 million) after YouTube didn’t take down videos.