Google Fined Heavily by Russian Court

A Russian court has fined Google 8 billion roubles for failing to comply with regulation orders, marking a significant increase from previous fines. The tension between Google and Russia stems from the latter's demand to remove content deemed illegal, with critics accusing Russian authorities of disrupting YouTube access.

A Russian court has imposed a hefty fine of 8 billion roubles ($77.9 million) on Google, citing the company's failure to adhere to previous penalty orders. This fine is a marked increase from the smaller penalties typically levied for such offenses.

Russia has long demanded that foreign tech platforms remove content it considers illegal, and has frequently fined those failing to comply. The recent fine issued by Moscow's Chertanovo District Court highlights the ongoing conflict, though the specifics of Google's administrative violation were not disclosed.

YouTube, a platform owned by Google, has attracted particular attention from Russian authorities for hosting contentious content. Allegations have emerged accusing Russian officials of slowing YouTube's download speeds to hinder access to opposition content, a claim Moscow denies, attributing issues instead to Google's supposed neglect in equipment upgrades.

(With inputs from agencies.)