Moscow Court Fines Google and Telegram 18.4 Million Rubles
Moscow's Tagansky court fined Google 3.8 million rubles and Telegram 14.6 million for failing to remove content banned under Russian law.
Moscow's Tagansky District Court on 3 November 2026 fined Google LLC 3.8 million rubles for failing to remove information prohibited under Russian law. In the same session it ordered Telegram Messenger Inc. to pay 14.6 million rubles. Together the penalties come to 18.4 million rubles.
Telegram fined on several counts
The messenger faced three separate penalties. Under part 2 of article 13.41 of the Russian Administrative Code, it was fined 3.8 million rubles for not deleting information that violates Russian legislation. It was then fined 7 million and 3.8 million rubles for two further offences under part 4 of the same article, which covers repeated failure to remove banned material.
The fines relate to posts containing unlawful and inaccurate information. Google received its penalty under part 2 of article 13.41 for the same type of violation: not removing content that breaks Russian rules.
Not Google's first fine this autumn
The latest ruling follows other penalties against the company in October. Google was fined 10 million rubles under part 3 of article 13.49 for failing to meet Roskomnadzor requirements for foreign companies operating in the Russian internet segment. It also received a 200,000-ruble fine under part 1 of article 20.25 for evading an administrative penalty.
Meanwhile, the Russian subsidiary, OOO Google, is covering the parent company's debts. In October it paid 16.8 billion rubles in fines imposed on Google LLC by Russian courts. About 14.7 billion rubles went toward administrative fines, and more than 2.1 billion rubles were transferred to the Federal Bailiff Service on enforcement accounts in favour of a Russian company.
The subsidiary is itself in bankruptcy. A Moscow arbitration court opened receivership proceedings, the final stage of bankruptcy that involves valuing and selling assets, paying creditors and liquidating the company, in 2023. In October 2026 the court extended that procedure until April 2027.
For foreign platforms active in Russia, the rulings show that the fines for content removal and for non-compliance with local requirements keep accumulating, and that repeat offences carry heavier penalties.
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