Google May Face Fine of Up to 20 Percent of Annual Turnover in Russia Over Failing to Delete Illegal Content

Russia stated on Tuesday it might this month search to nice US tech big Google a share of its annual Russian turnover for repeatedly failing to delete content material deemed unlawful, Moscow’s strongest effort but to rein in overseas tech companies. Communications regulator Roskomnadzor stated Google had didn’t pay RUB 32.5 million (roughly Rs. 3.4 crores) in penalties levied to this point this yr and that it might now search a nice of 5-20 p.c of Google’s Russian turnover, which might attain as a lot as $240 million (roughly Rs. 1,800 crores), a big enhance.

Google didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Russia has ramped up stress on overseas tech firms because it seeks to claim better management over the Web within the nation, slowing down the velocity of Twitter since March and routinely fining others for content material violations.

Opposition activists have accused Alphabet’s Google and Apple of caving to Kremlin stress after they eliminated an anti-government tactical voting app from their shops.

Roskomnadzor earlier in October stated it might ask a courtroom to impose a turnover nice on social media agency Fb, citing laws signed by President Vladimir Putin in December 2020.

“An identical case can be put collectively in October towards Google,” Roskomnadzor stated in emailed feedback to Reuters on Tuesday, noting that the corporate additionally owned video-hosting web site YouTube.

The SPARK enterprise database confirmed that Google’s turnover in Russia in 2020 was RUB 85.5 billion (roughly Rs. 9,050 crores). A 5-20 percentfine would quantity to between RUB 4.3 billion (roughly Rs. 455 crores) and RUB 17.1 billion (roughly Rs. 1,810 crores).

Google is at the moment combating a courtroom ruling demanding it unblock the YouTube account of a sanctioned Russian businessman or face a compounding nice on its total turnover that will double each week and drive Google out of enterprise inside months if paid.

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