Russia "Fines" Facebook, Telegram Over Banned Content

(RTTNews) - A Moscow court on Thursday imposed fines on social media platforms Facebook Inc. (FB) and Telegram as they failed to remove content "banned" by Russian authorities. The court ordered Facebook to pay a fine of 17 million rubles or $236 thousand and Telegram 10 million rubles or $139 thousand. The content for which the fine was imposed was not immediately known. This is the second time both companies are being imposed fines in the span of weeks. On May 25, Facebook was ordered to pay 26 million rubles or $362 thousand for not taking down banned content. Telegram was also ordered to pay 5 million rubles or $ 69 thousand last month for not taking down calls to protest.

The fines and bans being imposed on social media outlets is being seen as a part of efforts by the Russian authorities to tighten their hold on these platforms during the period of political dissent and revolts.

In 2021, other social media platforms Google and Twitter were fined $82 thousand and $120 thousand respectively for not removing banned content. Twitter was accused of not deleting content that influence child pornography and content related suicide.