A man in Russia was fined around $330 after he liked YouTube videos that were critical of the Russian military.
People use YouTube likes and saves for different reasons. Some use them to easily find videos they want to rewatch later, while others use them to show support for the channels they enjoy.
In Russia, 72-year-old Vasily Yovdy was fined for simply liking two videos on YouTube. He didn’t have to go to court; a judge in the Arctic Murmansk region issued the fine remotely, according to Verstka.
According to the judge’s report, Yovdy acknowledged his wrongdoing, expressed remorse, and requested leniency in sentencing due to his absence from court.
72-year-old fined 30,000 rubles over YouTube likes
According to the report, the court determined Yovdiy’s actions were public and issued a fine of 30,000 rubles – equivalent to about $387 or £283. Even though his likes and channel statistics were private, the judge ruled that if the video was shared by someone labeled a “foreign agent,” it was considered damaging to the reputation of the country.
Evgeny Smirnov, the lawyer representing the “First Department” project, explained to Verstka that using likes as comments is an unusual but potentially effective approach.
The court introduced a unique idea in this case – considering a ‘like’ as a comment. The speaker doesn’t believe simply clicking ‘like’ is a public attempt to damage the reputation of the Russian military, as the person didn’t share their own views or any information.
This situation could create a pattern for future cases, where simply liking or supporting something online is considered enough to spread a message or take action.
If Yovdiy doesn’t pay the fine on time, he could face a much larger penalty of 60,000 rubles, fifteen days in jail, or up to fifty hours of mandatory community service.
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2026-02-10 16:19