The Russian Interior Ministry is investigating a government bureaucrat's complaint that the streaming service Netflix is violating that country's regulations against LGBTQ+ content.
The complaint comes from Olga Baranets, a commissioner from St. Petersburg who has a history of alarmist campaigning against what she calls "gay propaganda." News reports give her the title of "the public commissioner for protecting families" — although they don't ever seem to capitalize it, so I don't know how formal a title that is supposed to be.
At issue is the video rating system in Russia (the equivalent of the G-PG-PG13-R-NC17 system of the U.S. Motion Picture Association) and its laws "for the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values."
It’s not clear if any specific show or promotion sparked Baranets’ complaints, but she claims that Netflix has labelled shows with what Russian censors equate to “deviant” content were given a 16+ rating. Any shows with “deviant” content have to receive an 18+ rating.
Baranets says that there is a “colorful collection of films and TV series tells about the lives of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people” that is currently receiving a 16+ rating.
Given the Russian government's strong antigay policies, it's easy to imagine the Interior Ministry coming down hard on Netflix if the streaming service doesn't kowtow to Olga Baranets's demands. Netflix could be fined or shut down in Russia entirely.
Either way would be bound to have a chilling effect on any other film and television service hoping to operate behind the Iron Putin.
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