Russia launches legal case against Google over blocking failures
Tech giant in the dock for allegedly failing to remove blocked sites from search results
Russia’s telecoms regulator Roskomnadzor has started a legal case against Google over its alleged failure to exclude banned domains from internet search results.
The dispute centres around Google’s failure to connect to the Russian federal state information system and Roskomnadzor’s list of prohibited internet resources, which includes a large number of international gambling operators.
As a result of the failure to connect to the database and block websites, the telecoms watchdog recently threatened Google with an administrative penalty of RUB700,000 (£8,239).
Roskomnadzor officials reportedly met with Google representatives earlier this month, aiming to secure the tech giant’s consent to join its anti-piracy memorandum, which includes the requirement for ISP’s to remove prohibited content from all search results. Google declined to do so.
All Russian internet providers have signed up to the memorandum as required by law.
Under the anti-piracy memorandum, websites domains can be blocked without a court order, with operators required to prove their sites meet anti-piracy laws before any services can be reinstated.
Thousands of unauthorised websites, including those of gambling firms are blocked every month, with Rozkomnadzor blocking over 3,500 in the last week alone.
No public comment has been made by Google since the filing of the suit, however the case will be considered in court over the coming months.