Google has deleted around 70 per cent of all websites blacklisted by Russian authorities. In a report published last week, Google claimed that Russia accounted for around 75 per cent of all global inquiries on content censorship. (Moscow Times)

Talking point: The move follows months of scrutiny over the search giant’s consideration of setting up shop in China, a country with strict censorship laws. It’s previously pushed back on attempts by Roskomnadzor, the Russian communications regulator, to pressure Google to take down content. The company was fined ₽500,000 (about $10,000) in November 2018 for failing to comply with take down requests. Russia has become increasingly aggressive with tech giants over the past few weeks. In late January, its communication watchdog commenced administrative proceedings against Twitter and Facebook for not complying with laws requiring Russian’s personal data to be stored within the country.