Roskomnadzor has filed an administrative case against VKontakte with the court demanding that the social network be held accountable for calls to go to uncoordinated rallies, the press service of the social network reports.
“VKontakte” may be brought to administrative responsibility for YouTube videos with calls to go to rallies, “the message says.
The press service clarified that the claims relate to eight posts with links to videos on YouTube containing calls for rallies that were not coordinated with the authorities. Roskomnadzor demanded that the social network delete these messages. However, this was not done in a timely manner, the regulator insists.
“As part of the proceedings, VKontakte was forced to restrict access to this content on social networks in the Russian Federation. At the same time, it remains available to Russians on other sites, ”the social network noted.
On February 1, a law came into force in Russia, according to which social networks must independently identify and block illegal content. In case of refusal, social networks face a fine of up to 4 million rubles. VKontakte, which did not remove the calls to attend rallies, has already been fined 1.5 million rubles. “A repeated violation can lead to a recovery in the amount of one tenth of the annual revenue,” they said in the social network.
In March, following Twitter's refusal to remove banned content, Roskomnadzor slowed its speed in Russia. The claims of the department caused posts with calls for suicide, child pornography and drug propaganda. Later, the authorities threatened to block the social network if it does not fulfill the requirements.
Twitter expressed concern about “the increasing number of attempts to block and restrict public communication on the Internet.” In response to the accusations, the social network stated that it adheres to a zero-tolerance policy regarding the sexual exploitation of children, and the promotion of suicide and the sale of drugs are prohibited.
In early April, Roskomnadzor postponed the blocking of Twitter, saying that the social network had begun to remove illegal content, but extended the validity of the previous measure.
