Roskomnadzor has indicated it will pursue administrative liability against the Wikipedia portal for not removing information deemed illegal from the source. The announcement was issued by the department’s press service and was reported on March 31.
The agency said it will prepare a protocol under Article 13.41 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, arguing that Wikipedia failed to delete unreliable and socially significant material and other prohibited content.
Wikipedia has faced fines ranging from 800,000 rubles to as much as 4 million rubles in related cases.
Roskomnadzor had previously informed the site administration, following a directive from the Prosecutor General, of the necessity to remove what was described as false information about a special military operation in Ukraine. The guidance also covered claims about civilian casualties.
Location “Wikipedia”
In a discussion with socialbites.ca, Stanislav Kozlovsky, the managing director of the nonprofit partnership Wikimedia.Ru, which supports Wikipedia, offered some context.
According to Kozlovsky, the group retains rights to use the Wikipedia brand but does not participate in court proceedings or assume responsibility for legal actions. The Wikimedia Foundation, based in San Francisco, is responsible for such matters and can request payment of fines. Wikimedia.Ru emphasizes that it does not manage servers or hold legal authority in these processes.
Kozlovsky noted that not all Wikipedia content is decided by a single organization; rather, a community of volunteers contributes to naming and presenting articles, and disputes are resolved through collective decision-making. He described the neutral approach as the default in such cases.
The administrator stressed that the site does not host fake material and that the information provided cites sources. He pointed to the United Nations as an authoritative reference, noting that its materials include data about Russia and the Security Council. This perspective reflects the emphasis on credible, international sources in the encyclopedia’s practice.
In an interview with a Ukrainian publication in May 2021, Kozlovsky mentioned that Roskomnadzor had not filed complaints against the site for several years. He recalled that after 2015 Roskomnadzor ceased sending letters, yet some Wikipedia articles remained on the registry of blocked sites. These included topics such as illegal drugs and self-harm. He added that there had been no formal notices from Roskomnadzor on political issues.
Special military operation
On February 24, Russia began what it described as a special military operation in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin framed the action as protecting people who had faced eight years of bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime. The stated aims included demilitarization, the reform of governance in Ukraine, and accountability for those alleged to have committed war crimes in Donbass.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has not reported civilian casualties resulting from Russian military actions, stating that civilian targets were not attacked.