Google faces a fine of up to 20% of Russian revenue this month

MOSCOW, Oct 19 (Reuters) – Russia stated on Tuesday it might this month search to wonderful U.S. tech big Google a proportion of its annual Russian turnover for repeatedly failing to delete content material deemed unlawful, Moscow’s strongest effort but to rein in international tech corporations.

Communications regulator Roskomnadzor stated Google had did not pay 32.5 million roubles ($458,100) in penalties levied to date this yr and that it might now search a wonderful of 5-20% of Google’s Russian turnover, which might attain as a lot as $240 million, a major enhance.

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

Russia on international tech firms because it seeks to say larger 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 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 wonderful on social media agency , citing laws signed by President Vladimir Putin in December 2020.

“An identical case might 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 85.5 billion roubles. A 5-20% wonderful would quantity to between 4.3 and 17.1 billion roubles.

Google is at the moment combating a courtroom ruling demanding it or face a compounding wonderful on its total turnover that may double each week and drive Google out of enterprise inside months if paid.

($1 = 70.9450 roubles)

Further reporting and writing by Alexander Marrow; Enhancing by Kirsten Donovan

: