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MOSCOW — Russia could gain powers to restrict access to U.S. social media giants if they “discriminate” against Russian media and levy big fines on platforms that do not delete banned content, under bills passed by the parliament’s lower house on Wednesday.
The authors of the two bills said infractions by YouTube and Facebook demonstrated the need for the legislation, which is part of a push to increase Russia’s internet “sovereignty” and has fueled fears of creeping China-style controls.
The first bill would allow Russia to restrict or fully block websites following what lawmakers said were complaints from state outlets that their accounts were being treated with prejudice by Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.
Twitter began labeling the accounts of several Russian media outlets with the description “state-affiliated media,” along with those of their senior staff and some key government officials in August, a move decried by Russia at the time.
The second bill would allow Russia to fine internet providers and sites between 10% and 20% of their previous year’s Russia-based turnover for repeatedly failing to remove banned content.
The bill sets a maximum fine of 8 million roubles ($106,130) for the first time sites fail to delete content calling for extremist activity, information about recreational drugs and child sexual abuse.
