Russian court rejects Google’s appeal against $50-mln fine over Ukraine content

A Russian court said it had rejected an appeal by Alphabet’s Google against a 4.6 billion rouble ($49.4 million) fine, imposed for failing to delete what Russia considers to be fake information about the war in Ukraine.
Russia has been at loggerheads with foreign technology companies over content, censorship, data and local representation in a simmering dispute that intensified after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian news agencies have previously reported that the fine was also imposed for Google’s failure to remove extremist content and the distribution of what Russia calls LGBT propaganda.
Alphabet’s YouTube has been a particular target of the Russian state’s ire but, unlike Twitter and Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Instagram, it has not been blocked.