Russia fines Telegram, Twitch, and others $14M for content violations

A Moscow court has fined four major social media companies for failing to comply with Russian regulations. Telegram, Pinterest, Likeme, and Twitch each received penalties of 3.5 million rubles. The ruling follows repeated accusations of non-compliance with local content laws. The Tagansky District Court found the companies guilty of violating Russian social media regulations. They were charged under Part 2 of Article 13.50 of Russia’s Code of Administrative Offenses. The violations involved a failure to monitor and restrict access to banned content as required by law.

Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media watchdog, had previously warned that Telegram ignored legal demands. In August 2025, authorities tightened restrictions on the platform to enforce compliance. Despite these measures, the companies continued to fall short of obligations.

The fines were officially imposed in February 2026. Each of the four platforms was ordered to pay the same amount. The court’s decision reinforces Russia’s stance on content control. All four companies now face financial penalties for their inability to meet legal standards. The fines total 14 million rubles across the affected platforms.