Apple slapped with $93,000 LGBTQ propaganda fine in Russia
A Moscow court on Monday fined US tech giant Apple 7.5 million rubles ($93,000) for violating Russian laws against spreading LGBTQ propaganda.
In April, the company was accused of breaching Part 3 of Article 6.21 of Russia’s Administrative Violations Code, which covers online promotion of non-traditional sexual relations and preferences, gender reassignment, and child-free ideology.
In a statement posted on Telegram, court officials said Moscow’s Tagansky Court has “found Apple Distribution International Ltd. guilty of three administrative offences” under Article 6.21 and imposed a fine of over $30,000 for each violation.
The case stems from the distribution of a television series on Apple’s streaming platform that included scenes promoting non-traditional sexual relations, the RBK business outlet reported, citing statements by the Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor.
The hearing was held behind closed doors due to what was described as confidential information related to the company’s services and internal communications. No further details were disclosed by the court or the parties involved.
Russia has tightened its laws dealing with LGBTQ propaganda over the past decade. In 2013, the dissemination of related content among minors was banned, with the restrictions broadened to cover adults in 2022. Last year, the country designated the 'international LGBT movement' as a terrorist organization.
In a separate Monday ruling, the Tagansky Court fined Apple more than $37,000 for failing to delete content deemed illegal under Russian law. The company has faced similar penalties in the past, including a $10,000 fine in January of 2024 for failing to remove Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s book, ‘Mein Kampf,’ which is listed as extremist material in Russia, from its Apple Books application.
