Moscow court fines Character.ai developer over drug promotion

A Moscow court has fined the American company behind the Character.ai chatbot for promoting drugs. The Tagansky District Court ordered Character Technologies, Inc to pay 1.25 million rubles, according to a RIA Novosti correspondent in the courtroom.

The judge announced the decision, stating the company was found guilty of an administrative offense under Part 3 of Article 6.13 of the Russian Administrative Code, which covers drug propaganda in information and telecommunications networks.

In a separate ruling, the same court fined Australian video service Kick Streaming Pty Ltd five million rubles. The company was penalized for failing to comply with a legal obligation to restrict access to illegal materials, as required by Russian law.

Character Technologies, Inc is a U.S. software developer known for its AI-powered chatbot applications. Character.ai lets users chat with characters based on real or fictional figures. The company was founded in 2021 and is headquartered in Silicon Valley.

Kick is an Australian streaming platform focused on video games and esports, positioning itself as a competitor to Twitch.