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First application of administrative punishment by “link” in Russia

In Russia there is a law prohibiting the dissemination of explicit content in internet. The liability for violation of such law should bear also the owner of mass media or operator of web-site where the content is published or through with the explicit content is disseminated. The Russian online media resource Vedomosti has been fined for dissemination of explicit content despite the fact that there was warning and the content in question has been available on twitter through the link.

The last year there was an accident with Russian football fans in Rome tube. There were many people injured when the moving staircase fallen down. Someone from people who were there has recorded such accident on mobile phone and published in internet. Many news resources, some of them were not registered as mass media, have reposted, shared or republished this video. The Russian business resource Vedomosti has also reported on this accident but gave a link to twitter where the video was published.

The video was unedited, so it included explicit content, in other words the people depicted there “used foul language”. But prior to follow the link from the Vedomosti’s report to the video the user should confirm that he is aware of explicit nature of the video. But for the Russian court that was not enough and the court decided the Vedomosti has violated the Russian administrative law and should be fined to 25 thousands Roubles. The Vedomosti is not agreed with the court’s decision and intends to appeal it.