Russia fines WhatsApp for not removing banned content

US-based messenger service WhatsApp has been fined three million roubles by a Russian court for failing to remove deleted content on its platform. This is the first time that Meta’s WhatsApp has been slapped with a fine for such an offence. Russia banned WhatsApp from operating in the country and branded it as an “extremist” platform. The case that invited the fine involved a chat group that offered an anti-depressant whose sale is forbidden in Russia, according to Russian news agencies. Meanwhile, Meta’s other platforms like Facebook and Instagram have also been banned in Russia. Google, Twitter, TikTok and another messaging app, Telegram, have been fined for failing to delete illegal content in the past. WhatsApp was previously fined for not keeping the data of Russian users on servers located in Russia, which violates local rules. On the other hand, the same court also fined Wikimedia’s owner Wikimedia Foundation three million roubles for not removing what Russia considers “false information” about Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.

Wikimedia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It has previously said information that Russian authorities complained about was well-sourced and in line with Wikipedia standards.

Moscow has for years clashed with Big Tech over content, censorship, data and local representation in disputes that escalated after Russia sent its armed forces into Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

With inputs from agencies

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