Russian media regulator blocks access to Facebook and Twitter in the country

Russian internet regulator Roskomnadzor ordered Facebook to be blocked (in Russian) in the country on Friday, March 4, as the war in Ukraine enters its second week. AFP journalists in Russia have seen that the social network no longer works without a VPN. Parent company Meta confirmed the Russian government’s decision to block access to Facebook in Russia, and lamented that “millions of ordinary Russians will soon be deprived of reliable information”in the words of Nick Clegg, President of International Affairs of the American group.

Roskomnadzor justified his decision by accusing Facebook, owned by American Meta, of “discrimination” towards Russian media such as the Zvezda Ministry of Defense television, the Ria Novosti news agency, the international channel RT or the Lenta.ru and Gazeta.ru sites. According to the Russian regulator, these restrictions “violate key principles of free dissemination of information and unhindered access of Russian users to Russian media on foreign internet platforms”. Moscow had already announced a week ago “limit access” and “to slow down” the operation of Facebook, which had restricted the functionality Russian media accounts in question.

Russia’s internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, has also started “restrict access” to Twitter, announced the Russian news agencies (Tass, Ria Novosti and Interfax). This decision is based on a request from the Russian Prosecutor’s Office dated February 24, the day the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. AFP journalists based in Russia have noticed that the Twitter feed is no longer refreshing. The Russian regulator had already been slowing down the operation of Twitter since last year, accusing the American social network of not deleting content deemed “illegal”including those linked to the opposition.

Since the beginning of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the Russian authorities have stepped up their pressure against the last independent media and on major social networks. Roskomnadzor also restricted access to the BBC, German international radio and television Deutsche Welle (DW), independent Russian site Meduza (based in Riga), Radio Svoboda, Russian branch of RFE/RL, Voice of America and other unnamed news sites.