MOSCOW, December 5. /TASS/. A Moscow magistrate’s court has fined the Telegram messenger service four million rubles ($43,700) for failing to perform actions mandated in a compliance order issued by the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor), the court’s press service told TASS.

"[The court hereby orders that] Telegram Messenger Inc. be deemed liable for committing an administrative offense under Article 19.7.10-4 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses (failure of a social network owner to carry out a compliance order by a federal agency exercising supervisory and control functions in the field of mass media, mass communications, information technologies and communications), and that a fine be assessed in the amount of four million rubles," the court spokesperson said, citing the text of the court ruling.

In July 2023, the State Duma, or lower house of the Russian parliament, passed a bill establishing fines for social media owners for their failure to carry out their responsibilities. This entails fines on legal entities ranging from four to six million rubles ($43,700-$65,400).