Reddit Faces First Fine Threat In Russia For Not Removing Prohibited Content

Illustration of the Reddit social media site (photo: Twitter @EmpireStateBldg)

JAKARTA - The Reddit social media site faces the threat of its first fine in Russia for not removing the "forbidden content" which Moscow says defames the Russian army. This was reported by the Interfax news agency on Wednesday, July 19, citing a court ruling in Moscow.

Reddit joins a list of websites under intense scrutiny in Russia for failing to remove content deemed illegal by the Moscow government, including Wikimedia, Twitch streaming service, and Google.

Reddit could be fined up to 4 million rubles (Rp659.5 million) for failing to remove "deliberately false information" about the actions of the Soviet Union during World War II and content defaming the armed forces of the Russian Federation, as well as other "extremist information".

Reddit's side has not yet responded to the report.

Since the invasion of Ukraine last year, Russia has tightened control over coverage of conflicts by media and bloggers, imposing tougher penalties on anyone who "contaminates" the actions of its armed forces or disseminates false information about them.