The decision of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Russia to recognize Google as a violator due to “opaque, biased and unpredictable” blocking of YouTube accounts and to impose a fine after an investigation is in line with general trends in antitrust practice in the world. This was announced on February 10 by Moscow Digital School teacher Ekaterina Smirnova to Izvestia.
“Today, all key jurisdictions cite the platform’s unrestricted or opaque right to block information resources as one of the main forms of abuse by platforms. Therefore, the key question in this case is whether Google, without sufficient grounds that would be clearly understood by market participants, deleted the YouTube account of the Tsargrad channel. If the removal was outside the rules, then Google’s actions are rightfully recognized as a violation, ”she said.
At the same time, according to the expert, if the removal was based on established rules, the key issue is censorship.
“The ban on censorship only applies to the state. Can this prohibition be extended to commercial companies if they have market power? This is one of the most controversial topics today regarding the balance of public and private interests,” Smirnova explained.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that the FAS had identified antitrust violations in YouTube’s non-transparent rules for blocking users. As emphasized in the department, deleting accounts without warning and justification of actions “infringe on the interests of users, and also limit competition in adjacent markets.” The amount of the fine for the company will be determined during the administrative investigation.
Prior to that, on September 28, 2021, RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan announced the removal of two German-language RT channels from YouTube. The video hosting explained the removal as a violation of the terms of use of the platform in connection with the publication of content related to the coronavirus pandemic. Simonyan called the voiced reasons far-fetched.
On June 11, 2021, Roskomnadzor told about the identification of 29 cases of censorship of Russian media on Google and YouTube sites. It was about the manifestation of censorship in relation to RT, Rossiya 24, NTV, TVC, Vzglyad, Tsargrad, RIA FAN and other Russian publications.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
