Moscow Court Sentences Google Guilty Of Leaking Data On Russian Soldiers Killed In Ukraine
JAKARTA A court in Moscow found the giant technology company from the United States, Google, guilty of leaking personal data on Russian soldiers who died in the war in Ukraine. This news was conveyed by the Russian state news agency, TASS, on Monday, April 21, citing court documents.
The document states that in a video published on the YouTube platform "owned by Google" there is information about the number of victims of the Russian army in the conflict in Ukraine, including personal data of the soldiers who died.
"The video disseminates information about the losses suffered by Russian troops in Ukraine, as well as contains personal data of the soldiers," reads the summary of the ruling quoted by TASS.
Until this news was published, Google had not yet responded to requests for comments sent via email outside of working hours.
Russia in recent years has consistently pressured foreign technology companies to remove content deemed illegal by the government, including information deemed "fake" related to war in Ukraine. If these companies do not comply with orders, they are subject to minor fines but are repeated.
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This is not the first time legal action against Google. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously accused Google of being a political tool for the United States government. In a statement in December 2024, Putin said the company was being used by the administration of the then US President, Joe Biden, for political gain.
Although fines imposed on companies like Google are relatively small compared to their global income, this move demonstrates Russia's determination to control the public narrative of the conflict in Ukraine, and limits the spread of information that is not in accordance with the official version of the government.
So far, it is not known the specific penalties or sanctions imposed on Google in this latest case. However, this decision adds to the long list of feuds between the Russian government and Western digital platforms.