A Russian court has imposed a fine of 3.8 million roubles ($41,530) on Alphabet’s Google for hosting content on YouTube that allegedly included videos instructing Russian soldiers on how to surrender, according to a report by Russia’s TASS news agency on Monday.
For years, Russia has required foreign technology platforms to remove content it considers illegal, including what it labels as “fakes” about the war in Ukraine, and has issued frequent fines for non-compliance. Critics argue that Russian authorities have also intentionally disrupted YouTube’s download speeds to limit access to content critical of President Vladimir Putin and his government.
Russia denies these allegations, attributing the download issues to Google’s failure to update its equipment, a claim disputed by Google and technology experts. In December, President Vladimir Putin accused Google of being used by the U.S. government to further its political agenda.
