A Moscow court has rejected a test case brought by Google to challenge the Russian authorities on their tough internet laws.
Google had appealed in court following the court’s decision to have a video clip by YouTube brought down.
The video portrayed Ukrainian Darina Snegova, 20, using a blunt razor blade to cut her wrists. There was also fake blood in the video.
The woman in the video was attempting to show how to put on makeup.
Russian regulators however demanded that the clip be removed arguing that it taught children how to commit suicide.
Google did bring down the clip but went to court to appeal the decision in February.
“We do not believe the goal of the law was to limit access to videos that are clearly intended to entertain viewers,” said Google in their reaction to the ruling.
The search giant added it would review the decision and consider its options as the clip was intended for entertainment rather than promote suicide.
The clip, entitled “Video lesson on how to cut your veins”, was seen by Russian regulators as breaking strict new rules on web content that is thought to be harmful to impressionable children.
The rules, an amendment to Russia’s Information Act, came into force in November and mainly relate to such things as web posts showing drug use, child sex abuse and suicide.
The laws allow the Russian regulator to request content it deems to promote any of the above be removed from the web immediately.
