Russia fines Google with 7.2 Billion Roubles for Illegal Content Breach

A Moscow court has fined Google 7.2 billion Roubles for the failure to delete the content that is deemed illegal in Russia. Details about the fine are still not specified. Google has said that it would study the court ruling before taking any further steps in this matter. 

Russian authorities have been pressuring the tech firm, accusing them of not moderating their content and interfering with the country’s internal affairs. Russia has fined Facebook, Twitter for similar content-related charges. 

President Vladimir Putin is pushing the development of a so-called sovereign internet, getting more control over what their citizens are accessing. The step has been criticized as it can clamp down the freedom of speech and online dissent. 

Russia has already blocked LinkedIn and Dailymotion along with six major Virtual Personal Networks (VPN) for refusing to cooperate with authorities. The country has also introduced a law under which all the new smartphones, computers, and other devices will need to have pre-installed with Russian software and apps.