Russia fines Google for not deleting banned content

© Reuters/Pascal Rossignol FILE PHOTO: Letters spell the word "Alphabet" as they are seen on a computer screen with a Google search page in this photo illustration taken in Paris

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Moscow court on Monday said it had ordered Alphabet's Google to pay 4 million roubles ($52,526) for not removing access to content banned in Russia, the latest in a string of fines for the U.S. tech giant.

Russia upped the ante late last year in its efforts to increase pressure on Big Tech, handing massive, revenue-based fines to Google and Meta Platforms for repeatedly failing to remove content Moscow deems illegal.

Google declined to comment.

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The TASS news agency reported that Google had been fined for providing access to links of banned websites.

($1 = 76.1530 roubles)

(Reporting by Alexander Marrow, Editing by Louise Heavens)