WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights or ECHR announced a significant verdict in the case of Google LLC and Others v. Russia, which imposed fines and pressured the company to remove specific contents from YouTube.
The court found that the Russian law's interference with Google's right to freedom of expression with contents related to politics, Ukraine invasion, criticism of Russian government, and LGBTQ rights had not been 'necessary in a democratic society'.
Moreover, the fines, amounting to billions of roubles, had also created a 'chilling effect' on hosting content critical of the authorities.
Additionally, the court noted that the Russian courts' orders compelling Google to host specific content on its platform had constituted an interference with the right to express oneself.
It further noted the legal basis and fairness of such actions, questioning the Russian courts' decision to impose fines on Google LLC without providing adequate justification for their approach.
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