Reddit is facing a potential fine of up to 4 million roubles ($43,895) from the Russian government for not removing content that is perceived as discrediting the Russian army and spreading “knowingly false information” about the Soviet Union’s actions during World War Two, along with other “extremist information.” This places Reddit among a growing list of companies under scrutiny in Russia for hosting content deemed illegal.
Numerous subreddits covering Russia’s war in Ukraine have challenged the official narrative supporting the conflict, with the Russian government denying it as a war and instead calling it a “special military operation.”
The fines imposed on companies like Reddit, Meta’s WhatsApp, Google, and Amazon are part of Russia’s efforts to restrict political narratives within the country and reduce the influence of foreign tech giants.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the government has tightened its grip, focusing on media and bloggers’ coverage of the conflict and introducing harsher punishments for content that discredits the actions of the Russian armed forces or spreads false information about them.
In response to the increasing control over information dissemination, Western-based social media apps like Snapchat, Telegram, and WhatsApp have been added to Russia’s Register of Prohibited Sites, applying to all government-affiliated organizations and state agencies.
This narrative control has created a troubling situation where posting anti-war content on social media could lead to up to ten years in prison, while individuals involved in armed coups, like Yevgeny Prigozhin, go unpunished. The fines and restrictions on content dissemination raise concerns about freedom of expression and access to diverse viewpoints within Russia.
