Russia has blocked Fb and presumably Twitter as a part of a censorship push through the country’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.
The nation’s media regulator stated Fb had been banned in retaliation for its “discrimination” in opposition to state propaganda websites. The regulator additionally banned Twitter, Russian newswire Interfax reported Friday, although Twitter stated its service appeared blocked just for some individuals in Russia and it wasn’t conscious of a blanket ban.
It additionally comes days after each firms blocked entry to Russian state propaganda shops RT and Sputnik within the European Union.
In response, Fb stated it will do all the pieces it may to revive service in Russia.
“Quickly, tens of millions of individuals will discover themselves reduce off from dependable info, disadvantaged of their on a regular basis methods of connecting with household and pals and silenced from talking out,” stated Nick Clegg, the president of world affairs for Fb’s mum or dad firm, Meta.
Clegg, a former deputy prime minister of the UK, stated Fb would work to revive service to the nation so its customers may “safely and securely categorical themselves and manage for motion.”
In the meantime, Russia’s state media regulator, Roskomnadzor, claimed in a press release that 26 instances of “discrimination in opposition to Russian media and data assets” had been logged in opposition to Fb.
“In current days, the social community has restricted entry to accounts: the Zvezda TV channel, the RIA Novosti information company, Sputnik, Russia Right this moment, the Lenta.ru and gazeta.ru,” the regulator claimed. “The above restrictions are prohibited by federal legislation,” Roskomnadzor stated.
Whereas Volodymyr Zelensky was not talked about within the assertion, the Ukrainian president has used Fb and Twitter to share videos giving updates on the war and urge Putin to withdraw his troops.
Web-famous Russians together with the influencer daughters of politicians and oligarchs have additionally used Meta-owned Instagram to talk out in opposition to Russia’s invasion.
Get the latest updates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with The Post’s live coverage.
Previous to Friday’s ban, Russia had additionally shut down a number of unbiased media shops and “throttled” social media websites together with Fb and Twitter.
Meta-owned Instagram and WhatsApp appeared to nonetheless be allowed in Russia on Friday.
