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Senator: Google to delete 6,000 banned posts so its services can stay available in Russia

The parliamentarian said that the bulk of objections against Google from the communications watchdog remained

MOSCOW, April 16. /TASS/. Google must delete 6,000 pieces of prohibited content from the YouTube platform and also to unblock a number of Russian mass media materials for normal operation in Russia’s legal space, the chairman of the Federation Council’s Commission on Information Policy and Cooperation with the Media, Alexey Pushkov, told TASS on Friday.

Earlier, Vasily Piskaryov, chairman of the State Duma’s Commission on the Investigation of Foreign Interference in Russia's Internal Affairs, said that Google officials affirmed in a video conference on Friday they were prepared to continue operating in Russia’s legal space and would delete all content that runs counter to Russian legislation in the near future.

"The several steps to comply with Russian communications watchdog’s requirements that Google officials mentioned at the meeting with the State Duma’s commission on foreign interference go in the right direction. But if it really wants to stay within Russian legal space, Google will be obliged, first, to cancel 23 censorship acts in relation to Russian mass media. The unblocking of films Rzhev and Beslan can be regarded only as the first and totally insufficient move," Pushkov said.

"Secondly, they must delete 6,000 pieces of prohibited content, including 4,000 extremism-related ones. Also, certain content involving child pornography, drug dealing, calls for suicide and so on still remain there."

Pushkov said that the bulk of objections against Google from the communications watchdog remained. He stressed that the watchdog enjoyed priority in making decisions to what extent Google activities were in harmony with Russian legislation. The senator stressed that some pieces of the prohibited content failed to be deleted since 2015, "although the mandatory deadline is 24 hours."