Since the 2022 expansion of Russia’s “LGBT propaganda” law to cover all adult audiences, authorities have intensified pressure on digital platforms, including streaming services. Companies that provide access to video content are being fined for distributing materials that include LGBTQ+ themes.

Key penalties and cases:

• Kinopoisk: In September 2024, the Moscow City Court fined the streaming service Kinopoisk 10 million rubles for “promoting non-traditional sexual relations and preferences, as well as gender transition.” The court did not specify which content triggered the fine, but earlier reports linked it to the film Love by Gaspar Noé, which includes explicit scenes featuring a minor.
• Apple: In May 2025, the Tagansky District Court in Moscow fined Apple Distribution International Ltd. 7.5 million rubles for three administrative violations related to the dissemination of “LGBT propaganda.” Each offense carried a 2.5 million ruble fine. Details of the violations were not disclosed, as the court sessions were closed at the company’s request.
• Tricolor: In June 2023, a magistrate’s court in St. Petersburg fined the streaming platform Tricolor 1.2 million rubles for “promoting non-traditional sexual relations.” The platform’s manager was also fined 200,000 rubles. The specific content that led to the fine was not disclosed.

Context and consequences:
According to Human Rights Watch, since the introduction of the “LGBT propaganda” law in 2013, Russian courts have issued over 100 rulings on charges of “extremism” for participation in the “International LGBT Movement” or for displaying its symbols. In 2023, the Russian Supreme Court designated the “International LGBT Movement” as an extremist organization, paving the way for criminal prosecutions and escalating repression against the LGBTQ+ community.