Russia has banned Twitter in many parts of the country. The micro-blogging site has given this information by tweeting on Saturday. The social media company has taken this decision after Russia attacked Ukraine. On Friday, Russia censored Facebook’s Reach of Meta Platform Inc. in the country. The Russian administration acted on Facebook after the tech giant banned government accounts.
Russia has always been strict against internet policies and social media restrictions. To recall, the country passed bills in 2020, including a range of new measures that could allow tighter restrictions on social media content and blocking websites like YouTube and Twitter. The past two years have seen several laws, including fines for search engines providing access to proxy services such as VPNs.
Here’s a look at the restriction of social media after the Russia-Ukraine conflict:
The micro-blogging site has blocked several accounts of researchers sharing footage and other information about the Russian invasion. Earlier, Russia announced a partial ban on Facebook. Russia’s opposition is being seen in Russia itself. In such a situation, due to anti-Russian content on Facebook, a partial ban has been imposed.
Twitter has said that it is working on keeping its service safe and accessible. However, the company has not yet given information about whether Russia has talked to them about any action or not. According to an Internet Blockage Observatory NetBlocks, Twitter has been blocked on major networks.
Access to @Twitter in Russia is being severely restricted. This message got through, but took a while.
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) February 26, 2022
“Russia’s restriction of Twitter will significantly limit the free flow of information at a time of crisis when the public most need to stay informed,” said NetBlocks Director Alp Toker.
Additionally, Russians can still access Twitter through VPN services, reports The Verge, but direct connections are restricted. Twitter said that we believe that people should have free and open access to the Internet, especially in times of crisis. With this, people can avoid a problem by establishing communication.
Meta (Facebook)
Affected by the partial ban, Meta (formerly Facebook) said on Saturday it was blocking Russian state media from running ads or monetizing its platform anywhere in the world. The additional step came in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when the country began to ‘partially restrict’ access to Facebook.
Russia has been trying for years to put tight controls on the Internet and big tech companies. Critics say it threatens personal and corporate liberties. It is part of a broader crackdown on vocal opponents of the Kremlin. Last year, Moscow slammed Twitter in a punitive move because it said the site was not removing illegal content.
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