The Russian government announced it would block Instagram after parent company Meta said it would allow calls for violence against Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukrainian invasion.
The Russian government communications agency announced it would block Instagram in Russia starting March 14, in response to Facebook’s decision to temporarily allow users in certain countries to plead violence against President Vladimir Putin, Vox.com reports.
“Based on a request from the Attorney General’s Office, access to Instagrama will be restricted on the territory of the Russian Federation,” Russian state media regulator Roskomnadzor said in a statement.
Instagram top executive Adam Mosseri called it “wrong” to cut off 80 million users in the country.
“This decision will cut 80 million people in Russia from each other and the rest of the world, as 80% of people in Russia follow an Instagram account outside their country. This is wrong, ”Mosseri said in a tweet.
Roskomnadzor recently blocked access to Facebook, citing 26 cases of “discrimination against Russian media and information resources by Facebook” since October 2020.
Previously, the Russian legislator advanced a new law against the spread of “fake news” on the country’s armed forces, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Shortly after the bill was put forward, the BBC announced it would suspend journalistic operations within the country.
Facebook’s decision follows similar moves by Google, Twitter and Snapchat, all of which have paused ads in Russia.