Russia Slaps Telegram with Four Million Ruble Fine for Refusing to Delete Banned Information

In a recent development, Telegram, a leading messaging platform, has been fined four million rubles (approximately 41,400 US dollars) by a Moscow court for refusing to delete information banned in Russia. According to the court’s press service, Telegram was found guilty of committing an administrative offence for failing to remove information when such removal is required by Russian law. The court did not specify the type of information that led to the fine.

This is not the first time Telegram has received a fine for this offense. In August 2024, the platform was also fined four million rubles for a similar offence. With a massive subscriber base of approximately 900 million users, Telegram is now one of the world’s leading messaging platforms and significantly influential in Russia.

This latest development highlights the ongoing tensions between Telegram and the Russian government over the platform’s perceived duties to comply with local regulations. While the exact nature of the prohibited information remains unclear, it is evident that Telegram has refused to comply with Russian demands, leading to these escalating conflicts. As a result, Telegram’s actions have earned it the attention of regulators and sparked debate about the platform’s role in the global digital landscape.