The Tagansky District Magistrate Court in Moscow has fined video conferencing service Zoom nearly 66 million rubles for failing to comply with Russian laws governing foreign internet companies.
The court found the company guilty of committing an administrative offense under Part 3 of Article 13.49 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation. State news agency TASS reported that the magistrate court set the exact fine at 65.9 million rubles after Zoom failed to fulfill statutory obligations required of foreign entities operating online in Russia.
Zoom Video Communications is an American technology firm headquartered in San Jose, California. The company is known worldwide for its cloud-based software platform providing video calls, virtual meetings, and team chat. The Tagansky District Magistrate Court in Moscow regularly handles regulatory cases involving foreign digital platforms and online communication services.
Under Russian legislation regulating foreign entities on the internet, overseas technology platforms operating within the country must adhere to specific administrative obligations, local presence rules, and regulatory directives to maintain their legal status.
Penalties levied against Telegram and Google
The financial penalty imposed on Zoom follows previous legal enforcement actions taken by Russian courts against other major international technology services.
Russian authorities previously fined messaging app Telegram 3.8 million rubles. Official reports stated that Telegram was penalized following its refusal to remove inaccurate information regarding the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the special military operation zone in Ukraine.
Telegram is a cloud-based instant messaging platform founded by tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov. The platform is widely utilized across Russia and Eastern Europe for private messaging, media sharing, and public broadcast channels.
Prior to the judgment against Telegram, a court in Moscow fined technology giant Google the same amount of 3.8 million rubles. Official statements noted that Google was penalized after failing to restrict access to content officially banned within the Russian Federation. Google, owned by parent company Alphabet Inc., is an American multinational technology firm specializing in search engine services and online technologies.
