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Viber fined for the first time in Russia for refusal to remove fake information

According to case files, the protocol against the company was drawn up due to the publication in the communities of Viber unreliable information about the special military operation in Ukraine, as well as the number of casualties and losses among the military and civilians

MOSCOW, June 20. /TASS/. A Moscow court has for the first time levied a fine against Viber in the amount of 1 million rubles ($11,799) for refusing to remove false information in the messenger communities about the special military operation in Ukraine, as well as casualties among the population. A TASS correspondent reported about it from the courtroom of the magistrate court department No. 422 of the Tagansky District.

"To find Viber Media guilty under part 2 article 13.41 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation (failure of the owner of a website to delete information or a web-page in case the obligation to delete such information, such a web page, is included in the legislation of the Russian Federation) and impose a penalty on this entity in the form of a fine in the amount of 1,000,000 rubles," the judge said.

According to case files, the protocol against the company was drawn up due to the publication in the communities of Viber unreliable information about the special military operation in Ukraine, as well as the number of casualties and losses among the military and civilians.

During the hearing, a representative of the messenger stated that the company had taken all the actions required by Russian law, removed the information that had become the subject of administrative proceedings, and its search in the territory of the Russian Federation is currently impossible.

The article, which was imputed to the messenger, provides for an administrative penalty in the form of a fine from 800,000 to 4 million rubles ($9,439-47,198). This is the first time that a protocol has been drawn up on Viber in Russia.

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