From this Friday, Russia decided to partially restrict access to Facebook in the country, due to what it considers the social network’s censorship of the Russian press, amid the information and propaganda war on the military intervention launched by the Kremlin against Ukraine.
Communications regulator Roskomnadzor announced the move days after the American technology company restricted the official accounts of four Russian media outlets: the military television channel “Zvezda”, the official news agency “RIA Novosti”, the portal “Lenta” and the newspaper “Gazeta.ru”.
The Russian Attorney General’s Office stated that Facebook “unlawfully restricted the dissemination through internet users of socially important information on the territory of the Russian Federation, including messages and materials from registered vehicles, in connection with the imposition of political and economic sanctions by the Russian Federation. of foreign countries towards Russia”.
The Russian authorities argue that this violates the right of citizens, contained in Article 29 of the Russian Constitution, “to have free access to, receive, transmit, produce and disseminate information in a lawful manner”, analyzed the Prosecutor’s Office.
Roskomnadzor said on Thursday he asked Meta, Facebook’s parent company, for a lifting of restrictions and an explanation of the reasons, but the social network ignored the Russian request.
Since Russia launched its military offensive on Ukraine on Thursday, Kremlin disinformation and propaganda have multiplied across social media.
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