Russia: Moscow Arbitration Court orders Google to restore access to Duma TV YouTube channel and imposes fine

On 22 November 2022, the Moscow Arbitration Court ordered Google LLC to restore access to Duma TV YouTube channel and imposed a fine against the company for RUB 1 billion. Google had removed access to the Duma TV channel on 9 April 2021. The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media of Russia (Roskomnadzor) had previously requested Google to restore access and claimed that the channel removal represented an act of censorship because it violated the right to free distribution of information and unrestricted access to it.