MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/. Russian mass media and telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor has sent demands to Opera and Google to restrict access to the plugin, which contains information on ways to bypass blocking, the watchdog’s press service old TASS.
"Roskomnadzor has discovered a plugin in the Opera and Google Chrome browser extension stores containing information on ways to bypass blocking. The agency added links to it in the unified register of prohibited information. Roskomnadzor sent Opera and Google, as well as the developer of the extension, demands to restrict access to illegal materials," the watchdog said.
As the regulator recalled, online distribution of information that promotes means of bypassing blocking to access illegal content has been banned in Russia since March 1, 2024.
The companies have not yet complied with the watchdog’s requirements.
"If the prohibited information is not deleted, the department will consider an option to hold companies accountable under the current legislation of the Russian Federation," the regulator added.
For failure to remove illegal content at the request of the mass media watchdog, the law provides for administrative liability in the form of a fine in the amount of 800,000 to 4 million rubles ($9,000 - 44,983). In the event of a repeated offense, turnover fines are provided in the amount of 1/20 to 1/10 of the company’s total annual revenue, the regulator recalled.