<p>Russia fined Facebook and Twitter on Tuesday for not deleting banned content, adding to a slew of penalties the government has already imposed on foreign tech giants.</p>.<p>Russia has been tightening controls over US-based tech companies and last week accused them of interfering in parliamentary polls due later this month.</p>.<p>A court in Moscow slapped Facebook with five fines on Tuesday totalling 21 million rubles ($288,000), according to an official Telegram channel.</p>.<p>The same court fined Twitter five million rubles.</p>.<p>Facebook has so far been fined 90 million rubles in Russia and Twitter 45 million, the state-run TASS news agency reported.</p>.<p>Russia often takes legal action against internet platforms for not deleting content it labels illegal, such as pornographic material or posts condoning drugs and suicide.</p>.<p>The judicial authorities have also fined Google citing the same offences and for failing to store the data of Russian users on domestic services.</p>.<p>Nearly all Kremlin critics -- including allies of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny -- have been barred from running in parliamentary elections on 17-19 September.</p>.<p>Russia's foreign ministry said last week it had summoned the US ambassador in Moscow over US tech giants' "interference" in the polls.</p>.<p>Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor has blocked dozens of websites linked to Navalny, including a site that instructs Russians how to vote out politicians of the ruling United Russia party.</p>.<p>The media regulator has also urged Google and Apple to remove an app dedicated to Navalny's "Smart Voting" campaign from their stores.</p>.<p>The "Smart Voting" tactic led the increasingly unpopular United Russia party to lose a number of seats in local elections in 2019.</p>
<p>Russia fined Facebook and Twitter on Tuesday for not deleting banned content, adding to a slew of penalties the government has already imposed on foreign tech giants.</p>.<p>Russia has been tightening controls over US-based tech companies and last week accused them of interfering in parliamentary polls due later this month.</p>.<p>A court in Moscow slapped Facebook with five fines on Tuesday totalling 21 million rubles ($288,000), according to an official Telegram channel.</p>.<p>The same court fined Twitter five million rubles.</p>.<p>Facebook has so far been fined 90 million rubles in Russia and Twitter 45 million, the state-run TASS news agency reported.</p>.<p>Russia often takes legal action against internet platforms for not deleting content it labels illegal, such as pornographic material or posts condoning drugs and suicide.</p>.<p>The judicial authorities have also fined Google citing the same offences and for failing to store the data of Russian users on domestic services.</p>.<p>Nearly all Kremlin critics -- including allies of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny -- have been barred from running in parliamentary elections on 17-19 September.</p>.<p>Russia's foreign ministry said last week it had summoned the US ambassador in Moscow over US tech giants' "interference" in the polls.</p>.<p>Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor has blocked dozens of websites linked to Navalny, including a site that instructs Russians how to vote out politicians of the ruling United Russia party.</p>.<p>The media regulator has also urged Google and Apple to remove an app dedicated to Navalny's "Smart Voting" campaign from their stores.</p>.<p>The "Smart Voting" tactic led the increasingly unpopular United Russia party to lose a number of seats in local elections in 2019.</p>