Language learning app Duolingo was forced to remove all references to LGBTQ people in Russia after the Russian government warned it would consider publishing such content an “extremist” act.
Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, told the Pittsburgh-based company that it must censor material promoting “non-traditional sexual relations” and LGBT propaganda.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has sought to portray LGBTQ rights as evidence of moral decadence in the West.
Last year, the president expanded restrictions on the promotion of so-called LGBT propaganda as part of a broader crackdown.
“Duolingo sent a letter of response to the Russian Federal Communications Agency, in which it confirmed that it had removed material promoting non-traditional sexual relations from the training app,” the Russian news agency reported on Tuesday.
A Duolingo spokesperson told The Washington Post on Thursday: “We support LGBTQ+ rights and believe LGBTQ+ representation in our content should be the norm. Unfortunately, local laws prohibit us from featuring certain content in Russia.”
“Duolingo’s mission is to expand access to quality education around the world,” the spokesperson said, adding that they are “committed to maintaining access to our products wherever they can legally be accessed.”
Russia has designated the “LGBT movement” as extremist and its supporters as terrorists, paving the way for serious criminal proceedings against LGBT people and their supporters.
Russian courts have fined online film distributors and executives for violating “LGBT propaganda” laws.
Since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has tightened its control over the content its citizens can consume online.
The government has restricted access to the Meta-owned encrypted messaging services WhatsApp and Telegram.
Russian authorities have also stepped up efforts to block virtual private networks (VPNs), which are frequently used by dissidents in authoritarian countries to circumvent censorship and access internet content.
YouTube, the Google-owned video service, remains hugely popular in Russia, making it difficult for the government to crack down on it.
A Russian court has fined Google tens of millions of dollars for publishing “false” government information.
Following the invasion of Ukraine, Russia announced it would ban Facebook and Instagram.
The government also restricts access to Twitter (now renamed X), Apple’s App Store, Google’s App Store, and a number of Western news sites.
The Post has reached out to the Russian government for comment.
With post wire
