MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/. Foreign IT companies were hit with fines totaling over 21 bln rubles ($214.8 mln) due to non-removal of destabilizing information over the last two years, department head of the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media Evgeny Zaitsev said.

The Russian telecom watchdog "promptly responds to attempts of manipulating the election process. Blocking and interaction with owners of both foreign and Russian web platforms and services took place for the purpose of removing destabilizing information," the official noted. "Foreign IT platforms were repeatedly called to administrative liability and fines imposed over the last two years alone total over 21 bln rubles," he added.

Turnover-based fines are stipulated in particular for the failure to remove illegal content, up to 20% of annual revenues of a company, Zaitsev reminded.