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Russia to Enforce Search Engine Disclaimers on Five Foreign IT Firms

A screen display the company logo for Pinterest Inc. during the company's IPO on the front of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, April 18, 2019. (Reuters)
A screen display the company logo for Pinterest Inc. during the company's IPO on the front of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, April 18, 2019. (Reuters)
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Russia to Enforce Search Engine Disclaimers on Five Foreign IT Firms

A screen display the company logo for Pinterest Inc. during the company's IPO on the front of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, April 18, 2019. (Reuters)
A screen display the company logo for Pinterest Inc. during the company's IPO on the front of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, April 18, 2019. (Reuters)

Russia's state communications regulator said on Friday it was taking punitive measures against five foreign IT companies for violating online content laws, which could require search engines to include a disclaimer about the violations.

The regulator, Roskomnadzor, said it was imposing measures against ByteDance's TikTok, Telegram messaging service, Zoom Video Communications, chat tool Discord and Pinterest.

In a statement, Roskomnadzor said that the measures were in response to the companies' failure to remove content that it had flagged as illegal, and would remain in place until they complied.

None of the companies immediately responded to written requests for comment.

Roskomnadzor did not specify precisely what measures would be taken. Russia's dominant Yandex search engine already carries a disclaimer for some other websites that reads: "Roskomnadzor: website violates Russian law".

"Roskomnadzor has decided to apply enforcement measures ... in the form of internet users being informed by search engines about the companies' violations of Russian legislation," the regulator said.

Russia has fined several, mostly foreign tech firms for not deleting content it deems illegal. It has also warned sites against violating a law passed in early March that prohibits "discrediting" the armed forces, with a sentence of up to 15 years.

On Tuesday, Russian courts fined Amazon's live streaming unit Twitch 2 million roubles ($33,900) and Telegram 11 million roubles for hosting content that Moscow said contained "fake" information concerning events in Ukraine.

Russian lawmakers in July approved a bill providing for stricter penalties for foreign internet companies, including the search engine disclaimer.

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15 Countries Endorse from Riyadh Initiative to Promote Online Content Integrity

The United Nations Internet Governance Forum is being hosted in Saudi Arabia from December 17-19. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The United Nations Internet Governance Forum is being hosted in Saudi Arabia from December 17-19. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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15 Countries Endorse from Riyadh Initiative to Promote Online Content Integrity

The United Nations Internet Governance Forum is being hosted in Saudi Arabia from December 17-19. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The United Nations Internet Governance Forum is being hosted in Saudi Arabia from December 17-19. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Fifteen member states of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) have endorsed a strategic multilateral initiative to promote “Online Content Integrity” during the United Nations Internet Governance Forum, hosted in Saudi Arabia from December 17-19.

The event, held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, is organized by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Digital Government Authority.

On the sidelines of the forum, the DCO, headquartered in Riyadh, announced the initiative, with 15 nations signing a joint declaration. The signatories include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cyprus, Djibouti, The Gambia, Ghana, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar and Rwanda.

According to the DCO Secretariat, this initiative, spearheaded and sponsored by Kuwait, was introduced during the organization’s third General Assembly, and aims to promote respect for social and cultural diversity and combat online misinformation through mediation and coordination among companies, governments, international organizations, and civil society.

The declaration included the establishment of a High-Level Ministerial Committee tasked with overseeing the implementation of the initiative. The participating nations reaffirmed their commitment to fostering an inclusive, transparent, and secure digital economy that empowers individuals to thrive.

The declaration also emphasized the importance of collective efforts to uphold national values, regulations, and codes of conduct on social media platforms. It reaffirmed the DCO’s commitment to enhancing trust in cyberspace by addressing ethical and privacy challenges associated with emerging technologies.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, DCO Secretary-General Dima Al-Yahya pointed to surveys conducted across 46 countries, which revealed that over 59% of respondents expressed concerns about distinguishing between real and fake online content. Furthermore, more than 75% of internet users reported encountering fake news in the past six months.

Al-Yahya noted: “Misinformation spreads on social media platforms at a rate up to 10 times faster than factual content,” underscoring a troubling paradox: the platforms that revolutionized communication and progress have also become channels for division, mistrust and polarization.

This impact is particularly concerning for younger generations, she warned. Teenagers reportedly spend over seven hours online daily, and at least 70% believe in four conspiracy theories after being exposed to them. During the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation about health issues led to a 30% decline in vaccination rates in some regions, endangering millions of lives.

The forum is expected to attract over 10,000 participants from 170 countries, along with more than 1,000 international speakers. Some 300 sessions and workshops are scheduled to address global trends and policies in internet governance, share expertise and best practices, tackle emerging digital challenges, and strengthen collaboration among public and private sectors, civil society, and nonprofit organizations.