Russia’s media regulator, Roskomnadzor, This Friday completely blocked access to Facebook, in response to the restriction of access to the national media, and the social network reacted by stating that “it will do everything possible to remain available”. As confirmed by the deputy prime minister, Fedorov Mykhailo, they also blocked access to the social network Twitter and the reservation site Booking.
“On March 4, 2022, it was decided to block access to the Facebook network (owned by Media Platforms, Inc.) on the territory of Russia,” said a message from the agency broadcast by Telegram.
According to the state agency, since October 2020 26 cases of discrimination were recorded of Russian media and national information resources by Facebook.
The regulator accused the company, owned by the American group Meta, of “discrimination” by Russian media such as Zvezda television (of the Defense Ministry), the Ria Novosti press agency, the international network RT or the Lenta.ru portals and Gazeta.ru.
Days ago the Russian government had proceeded to “limit” and reduce the speed of access to Facebook, which had restricted the use of its functionalities by those Russian media.
The state agency warned that this discrimination against Russian media constitutes a violation of local law and the right of citizens to free access to information provided by the Russian media on network resources and on other platforms, reported the AFP and Sputnik news agencies.
“Millions of Russians are soon going to be cut off from reliable information, deprived of everyday ways to connect with family and friends, and silenced from speaking out,” said Nick Clegg, president of Global Affairs at Meta.
“We will do everything possible to restore our services so that they remain available and people can organize safely“He added in a statement posted on Twitter.
The measure that triggered the ban
Last Wednesday, the European Union banned the broadcasting of any content from Russian media outlets RT and Sputnik due to the Russian military operation in Ukraine.
That same day, the American company Meta, formerly Facebook, disconnected its applications from all the resources of Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik’s parent company.
The RT television channel was also blocked by Instagram and Facebook in 27 countries in Europe.
Previously, Google decided to block YouTube channels linked to RT and the Sputnik agency in Europe.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the sanctions that the West imposed on journalists, as well as athletes, unexpected. and Russian cultural representatives.
Meanwhile, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, signed this Friday a law that contemplates heavy prison sentences and fines for those who publish “false information” about the army, in a new twist of the internal repression in the midst of the invasion of Ukraine.
The deputies of the lower house of the Russian Parliament (the Duma) had unanimously adopted a few hours earlier an amendment that provides for penalties of up to 15 years in prison if information is disclosed that seeks to “discredit” the armed forces.
Another amendment that came forward this Friday contemplates sanctions for those who request “sanctions against Russia”, when the country faces strong isolation measures adopted by Western countries for the attack on Ukraine.