Duolingo complies with Russia's censorship on LGBT references

Duolingo, a language learning app, removed content in Russia related to what Moscow calls “non-traditional sexual relations” after being warned by Russia’s communications regulator. Russia has strict laws against promoting LGBT content, which it considers as “extremism”. This is part of a larger crackdown on LGBT rights in Russia, where President Vladimir Putin wants to show that Western countries are morally decaying. Roskomnadzor, the Russian communications regulator, told Duolingo not to publish material supporting non-traditional sexual relations and LGBT rights. Duolingo supports LGBTQ+ rights and wants to include LGBTQ+ representation in its content. However, due to local laws in Russia, it had to remove certain content. Duolingo aims to provide quality education worldwide while following legal restrictions. In Russia, the “LGBT movement” is labeled as extremist, and those who support it are considered terrorists. This has led to serious legal actions against LGBT individuals and their advocates. Duolingo responded to Roskomnadzor’s warning by confirming that it had deleted content promoting non-traditional sexual relations from its app. Russian courts have fined individuals and companies for violating the “LGBT propaganda” law, including online platforms and their executives. This shows the strict enforcement of anti-LGBT laws in Russia, where promoting such content can lead to legal consequences.