Technology
Russia blocks Facebook, Twitter amid Ukraine invasion
Russia to punish ‘fake’ war reports with 15 years in prison
The Russian government is blocking Facebook and twitter in a major crack down on dissenting media, and limit information about its invasion of Ukraine.
According to a person familiar with the situation, other services operated by Meta— including WhatsApp and Instagram, haven’t been impacted by the ban, but that could change.
Facebook became the first American tech giant to be blocked by the Russian government, as part of the Kremlin’s broadening campaign to tighten control of the internet and limit spaces for dissent about the war in Ukraine.
A post from Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, said Facebook would be blocked because of “discrimination against Russian media and information resources.”
Facebook previously banned Russia state-backed media accounts from operating in the European Union (EU) in an effort to cut down on Russian propaganda and misinformation.
Just a few hours after the announcement, Meta said it would pause all advertising in Russia, and would stop selling ads to Russian businesses.
Russia’s block was an escalation of its earlier tactic, slowing down social media services to make them harder and more frustrating to use.
The country had already been slowing down Facebook for almost a week, along with other social media sites such as Twitter and YouTube.
Moreover, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday enacted a new law that could result in 15 years in prison for spreading information that goes against the Russian government’s narrative on the war in Ukraine.