- Two Moscow sanctions: 10,5 million rubles for Telegram for prohibited data and content.
- The Taganski District Magistrates' Court found her guilty of an administrative violation.
- Since 2015, Russian law has required the hosting of citizens' data on servers located in Russia and the removal of banned material.
- Background: Previous fine of 2 million rubles and other technology companies sanctioned and/or blocked (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok).
Moscow courts have imposed two fines on Telegram totaling 10,5 million rubles (about $131.000) for violating regulations: failing to locate the personal data of Russian citizens on servers in the country and refusing to remove prohibited content.
The ruling was issued by the Justice of the Peace of the Taganski district , who declared the platform responsible for an administrative violation for infringing the Russian data protection law and the rules on disseminating information on the internet.
Details of the fines and legal basis
One of the fines amounts to 3,5 million rubles (about $43.600) for failing to comply with the obligation to host the personal data of users in Russia, as stipulated by current legislation and confirmed by the press office of the Moscow courts.
The second fine, of 7 million rubles (more than $87.000), stems from the refusal to remove information banned in Russia. Among the prohibited content are materials that incite ethnic, racial, or religious hatred ; that pose a risk to minors or promote the consumption of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco ; as well as gambling, prostitution , or vagrancy . Material that justifies cruelty to animals , denies so-called " family values ," or promotes non-traditional sexual relations is also excluded . Since the start of the war, "false information" about the Russian military campaign in Ukraine has also been targeted.
Since September 2015 , companies that process personal data of Russian citizens must locate their servers within the national territory, a requirement whose non-compliance has led to multiple administrative actions.
Context and technological background
This is not an isolated incident: last May , the same court imposed another fine of 2 million rubles on Telegram for similar violations related to data localization, according to known rulings.
Regulatory pressure is also affecting other technology platforms . Russian authorities have sanctioned Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok , and access to these platforms has been blocked at different times in the country.
This tightening of regulations is part of a policy of greater state control over the flow of information and the operations of foreign companies, conditioning both the legal compliance of the platforms and the experience of users in the Russian digital environment.
The case against Telegram has accumulated 10,5 million rubles in fines for data and content violations , adding to recent precedents in a context of reinforced surveillance over the activity of the main social networks in Russia.
