On Thursday, a Russian court fined WhatsApp 3 million roubles ($37,080) for not deleting unlawful information.
WhatsApp, popular in Russia, has never been penalized for failing to remove illegal content, even though its parent company Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), was banned last year as an “extremist” organization.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) Google have all been penalized for the material.
However, WhatsApp has been punished for allegedly refusing to store Russian customers’ data on Russian servers. WhatsApp was fined Thursday for not removing Lyrica material, which is illegal in Russia, according to RIA.
Outside U.S. work hours, Meta did not respond to a request for comment.
After Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, Moscow and Big Tech have fought over content, censorship, data, and local representation.