The Tagansky District Court in Moscow has ruled against the American streaming platform Twitch, imposing a fine of 7 million rubles for disseminating false information about private financial transactions as well as content related to gambling and online casinos, according to reports from Vedomosti, citing its own correspondent. The ruling highlights a pattern where authorities scrutinize content that potentially misleads viewers about sensitive topics, and it underscores the court’s willingness to enforce penalties when information defies local restrictions governing access to specific materials.
The court clarified that the total fines arise from two distinct violations of the procedures established to limit access to information and resources under Russian law. The first violation pertained to a stream containing false claims about a military operation, which prompted a 4 million ruble sanction. The second violation involved the transmission of misleading content about a special military operation in tandem with material related to gambling and online casinos, resulting in an additional 3 million rubles in penalties. These cases illustrate the judiciary’s stance on ensuring that online platforms comply with state-imposed restrictions and the legal consequences for noncompliance.
Roskomnadzor, the Russian communications regulator, announced that toward the end of May it added Twitch to a list of social networks and platforms for verification under the requirements of Russian law. This move followed earlier actions where Roskomnadzor placed platforms into scrutiny to determine whether they adhered to national regulations governing information control. The registration of these platforms for oversight signals the ongoing emphasis on monitoring how global services operate within Russia’s regulatory framework and the potential for enforcement when deviations occur.
Previously, Roskomnadzor had led the first actions for refusing to delete content deemed prohibited in Russia, with WhatsApp among the entities that faced scrutiny. In such cases, there is the possibility of fines reaching up to 4 million rubles for platforms that do not comply with the bans or required removals. This sequence of regulatory steps demonstrates the persistent effort by Russian authorities to align foreign and domestic platforms with its information control policies, even as the digital landscape continues to evolve and present new challenges for enforcement and compliance.
Earlier decisions by the Tagansky District Court also involved Twitch in sanctions related to content that allegedly misrepresented operations connected to the armed forces. In those rulings, Twitch faced penalties for not removing information that was considered fraudulent or misinforming viewers about the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The outcomes of these cases emphasize the court’s emphasis on accuracy in reported narratives involving national security matters and military operations, as well as the framework in which platform operators are expected to respond to official demands for content removal.
Across these rulings, the underlying pattern is clear: platforms operating in or accessible from Russia must respond quickly to legal orders or risk substantial fines. The dual fines against Twitch reflect a broader regulatory strategy that targets both the spread of misleading information about sensitive state operations and the dissemination of unregulated material linked to gambling. Observers note that the penalties not only punish noncompliance but also serve as a deterrent, encouraging platforms to establish robust review processes for user-generated content and to cooperate with regulators in a timely manner. In a digital environment where information moves rapidly, the balance between free expression and lawful restrictions remains a focal point of policy discussions and legal actions in Russia.