Russia fines Twitter $117,000 for not deleting protest posts

Russian authorities last month made content on Twitter slower to load, accusing the service of failing to take down posts related to drug use, pornography and other banned topics.

FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed Twitter logo displayed in front of Russian flag is seen in this illustration picture, October 27, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo (REUTERS)

Russia issued three fines to Twitter Inc. totaling 8.9 million rubles (about $117,000) for what authorities said was a refusal to remove content that encouraged minors to join unauthorized protests, stepping up pressure on the U.S. social media company.

Twitter has 60 days to pay, the Interfax news service reported from a Moscow court that levied the penalties on Friday.

Russian authorities last month made content on Twitter slower to load, accusing the service of failing to take down posts related to drug use, pornography and other banned topics. On March 16, Russia's internet watchdog threatened to fully block the service within a month if it doesn't delete flagged content.

A Twitter spokesperson declined to comment on the fines. Previously, the company expressed concerns about attempts to throttle online conversations and said it did not allow its platform to be used to promote illegal activities.

The government has ratcheted up pressure on social media due to posts including on Twitter that promoted protests over the jailing of opposition leader Alexey Navalny earlier this year. Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and Google are also facing the threat of fines for not removing content.