Google v. Russia: ECtHR finds violation of freedom of expression and right to fair trial in administrative proceedings concerning removal of political content

Today, in Google LLC and Others v. Russia, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) held, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 10 (freedom of expression) and of Article 6 § 1 (right to a fair trial) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) concerning the administrative proceedings concerning content removal requests.

The case involved legal actions taken by Russian authorities against Google, primarily over its refusal to remove certain political content from YouTube and its suspension of monetisation for the YouTube channel Tsargrad TV.

The ECtHR held that the Russian courts found the videos unlawful without properly assessing whether the content was actually false or harmful, presuming instea