Twitch hit by ₽4million fine and Vladimir Putin’s regime is already targeting other creators

Twitch has been fined 4,000,000 rubles ($68,000 USD) after being targeted by Russia’s fake news laws.

The streaming platform was fined following an interview it conducted with Oleksiy Arestovych, the adviser of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Twitch was also fined in August for failing to delete a “31-second fake video” of a girl from Bucha, Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities have accused Russia of committing war crimes in the city, while Russia denies the accusations.

Twitch, on both occasions, has not provided a statement about the fines.

In March, Russia also banned the use of Facebook and Instagram and designated the social media platforms as “extremist” organizations. A few months later, in July, Russia fined Google for hosting “Anti-Russia” content on its platform as well.

The Russian censorship laws were instated on March 4, 2022, and have focused on giving punishments for the dissemination of “unreliable” information about the Russian Armed Forces and other Russian state bodies and their operations. This law is an extension of the Russian fake news laws and has been the reason why foreign media have left the country.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and continues to occupy the Eastern European country.