This Sunday (6), the Chinese social network TikTok announced the suspension of live broadcasts and publication of new content on Russian soil, citing fears about the safety of users of the platform who are posting content related to the war in Ukraine.
The decision follows the approval by Russia’s parliament on Friday of a law that punishes anyone who “spreads false information about the country’s armed forces” with up to 15 years in prison. According to the law, calling the action in the neighboring country a “war” can be considered disinformation, punishable by imprisonment.
The Russian government has created several measures to prevent its citizens from having access to information from outside the country. On the same date as the law was passed, the government of Vladimir Putin banned the operation of several social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. Russia’s media agency also restricted access to several major news sites such as the BBC, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Deutsche Welle on the grounds that they were publishing fake news about the war. Demonstrations by Russian citizens against Putin-ordered attacks have also been penalized with arrests; this Sunday alone, 3,500 protesters were arrested.
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