A Russian court on Monday has fined U.S. technology giants Google and Facebook after these platforms failed to delete content that Moscow considered illegal.

In the latest development in an escalating standoff between Russia and Big Tech, Facebook was fined RUB 26 million (roughly Rs. 2.57 crores) in total, on eight separate counts, while Alphabet's Google was ordered to pay a total of RUB 6 million (roughly Rs. 59.42 crores) for three different offences.

Facebook, TikTok, were sued by Russia for not deleting protest content.

Both companies were guilty of administrative offences, the Moscow's Tagansky District Court said in separate statements.

It comes shortly after Roskomnadzor, Russia's media watchdog, said it had given Google 24 hours to delete videos that contain drugs, violence and extremism.

In a statement reported by state-run news agency TASS, the watchdog said Google had failed to remove links to pages that contain "prohibited information."

Roskomnadzor said it had sent Google more than 26,000 notices to delete what it deemed "illegal information," according to TASS. The regulator also said that YouTube, which is owned by Google, has failed to remove around 5,000 banned videos. Of those, 3,500 reportedly include calls to extremism.

Moscow court documents seen by Reuters purportedly show that Google is suing Roskomnadzor over the demands it removes unlawful content.

Google Russia declined to comment. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The charges concern posts that Russia says encouraged minors to join unsanctioned protests in January, when people across the country took to the streets to support Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after he was detained.

Twitter’s punitive slowdown partially halted by Russia after content removal.

In April, a court issued three separate fines against Twitter totalling RUB 8.9 million (roughly Rs. 88.15 lakhs), over accusations it had failed to delete banned content. TikTok has also been fined for similar offences this year.

(Inputs from Agencies)

Image Source: Reuters