Russian court fines Apple over LGBTQ propaganda
A Russian court has fined Apple nearly 83,000 euros, accusing the American tech giant of committing three violations of the LGBTQ propaganda law adopted in 2013. This was reported by the press service of the Moscow court.
Apple received three administrative fines for allegedly promoting “non-traditional sexual relationships.” Since the individual cases were handled behind closed doors, the exact nature of the violations is unknown. For each case, Apple was fined 2.5 million rubles (27,666 euros).
Russia's 2013 law bans the dissemination of information about homosexuality or the depiction of LGBT people in the media in the presence of minors. In 2022, the law was tightened and extended to apply to all Russian citizens, not just minors. As a result, organizing LGBT events or depicting homosexuals in media or advertising is now forbidden. Any activity perceived as promoting a homosexual lifestyle — such as education, films, events, or books — now falls under the label of “gay propaganda” and can be punished with fines starting at 6,000 euros for individuals and up to 80,000 euros for companies, NGOs, and other (foreign) organizations.
Last year, the Russian Supreme Court declared the “international LGBT movement” an extremist organization. According to the judges, the activities of LGBT organizations cause “social and religious unrest” and violate laws prohibiting extremism.
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