“The decision has been taken to block access to Facebook,” Roskomnadzo, Russia’s communications regulator, reported on Telegram. However, the Russian news agency has already made it known that Twitter is inaccessible. Portal points out that Youtube was also banned in the country.
The regulator accused the social network Facebook, owned by the US group Meta, of “discrimination” against Russian media such as Zvezda television (from the Ministry of Defense), the Ria Novosti press agency, the international network RT and the portals. Lenta.ru and Gazeta.ru.
The Russian government had already acted a week ago to “limit” and reduce the speed of access to Facebook, already with the restricted use of its features by these Russian means.
According to Roskomnadzor, these restrictions “violate the key principles of free dissemination of information and users’ unrestricted access to Russian media on foreign Internet platforms.”
Facebook has already reacted, deploring Russia’s blockade of the social network and saying the move will deprive millions of people of reliable information and a forum to exchange opinions.
“Millions of ordinary Russians will soon be deprived of reliable information… and silenced from speaking,” said Nick Clegg, vice president of global affairs at Meta.
AFP journalists in Russia ensure that access to the social network on the local internet network no longer works without access to a VPN.
And there goes Twitter in Russia. The country has been disconnected from the world. In one week a nation of 145m- hermetically sealed. With barely any objection from Putin’s Duma. They approved his “special operation” in Ukraine and his massive repression and censorship at home. https://t.co/d8nuYUuJj4
— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) March 4, 2022
However, after Facebook, the Russian regulator also decided to block the social network Twitter. The information is advanced by Tass, Russian news agency, which confirmed that Roskomnadzor blocked Twitter.
⚡️⚡️⚡️According to globalcheck, YouTube is being blocked in #Russia pic.twitter.com/3nCNOI7KLT
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 4, 2022
According to the globalcheck portal — which measures the degree of accessibility to websites and malfunctions — Youtube also appears to have been blocked in Russia.
Source: with agencies