On 16 September 2023, Yandex Music, a Russian streaming platform, deleted a podcast titled “Not Living in Lies”, produced by the Yekaterinburg-based independent media outlet It’s My City, following a demand to so by Russia’s internet censor and regulator Roskomnadzor. According to Roskomnadzor, who also sent a letter to It’s My City to inform the media outlet about the decision, the podcast “is aimed at destabilizing the socio-political situation in Russia in the course of the ‘special military operation'”, which is the term the Russian government uses for the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In its letter, Roskomnadzor additionally accused It’s My City of “massive violations of public order” by disseminating “false information” in the “Not Living in Lies” podcast. It’s My City said the podcast remained available on most other streaming platforms.
According to legislation enacted soon after Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, any reporting on the war is considered to be “fake news”, a criminal offence, if it is not based on a Russian governmental source. Reporting on the war can also be considered to “discredit” Russian armed forces, for which Russian journalists can receive fines.