In Russia, website owners will be responsible for user content.

Russian authorities, including Sergei Sitnikov, head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor), believe that online publications should be held accountable for everything that appears on their websites. This includes user-generated content, such as comments and forum content.

According to Sitnikov, "A registered online media outlet is legally responsible for everything published on its pages. A forum, through which publications attract visitors and maximize their information business, is part of a website registered as a media outlet... If this (forum – ed.) is part of a media outlet, then the editorial staff bears full responsibility for what is published on it. Therefore, if the editorial staff does not want to run into trouble with regulatory authorities, they must moderate their forum... A forum, through which publications attract visitors and maximize their information business, is part of a website registered as a media outlet."

2009 in Russia was also known for a record number of court cases against bloggers and social media users. Internet users were accused of distributing extremist materials, inciting hatred, hostility, and humiliating human dignity, among many other charges.

This type of practice raises a number of ambiguities, particularly regarding who exactly is responsible for the materials posted by users – journalists, editors-in-chief, or third parties (e.g., users).