Roskomnadzor, the Russian Internet and telecom regulator, has submitted an administrative protocol citing Google for censoring its search results in Russia insufficiently. The news agency Interfax cited Roskomnadzor as saying that its most recent test of the search engine in May indicated that “more than a third of the links included in the unified registry of prohibited information” still appear in Google’s results.
The US company could face 500,000 to 700,000 rubles (approximately $7,800 – $11,000 at the current exchange rate) in fines.
Earlier this year, Roskomnadzor stated they had “established a constructive dialogue” with Google. While refusing to connect to Federal State Information System (FGIS), Roskomnadzor’s registry of banned sites, the US company began deleting blacklisted links from its search results a long time ago.
Roskomnadzor’s registry targets sites that contain “calls to extremism,” promotion of drugs or suicide, pornographic content, unauthorized gambling and games of chance, as well as pirate content.
