Russia threatens to block Twitter and gives it a month to suppress “illegal” content

The authorities of Russia announced on Tuesday that they gave the US social network Twitter a month to suppress “illegal” content, on pain of blocking the platform.

Russia already gave a first warning last week by “slowing down” the operation of the network, which it accuses of not eliminating content that incites the suicide of minors, that contains child pornography or information on drug use.

The authorities reproach Twitter that it has not responded to the request to suppress some 3,100 publications.

The US firm rejected these accusations and said it was “very concerned” by the “attempts to block and strangle the public conversation online.”

“Twitter does not respond adequately to our requests and, if things continue like this, in a month, it will be blocked”, Vadim Subbotin, deputy director of the Russian internet regulator Roskomnadzor, told the Interfax agency on Tuesday.

“We have given ourselves a month and we observe the reaction of Twitter on the suppression of illegal contents”, he pointed to the TASS agency. “If Twitter does not respond to our demands, we will ask ourselves the question of the complete blocking of the service,” he added.

The dispute illustrates the growing tensions between Moscow and the main foreign social networks in recent months, criticized for their omnipotence and their moderation of content, especially political ones.

They are especially accused of having allowed the circulation of publications in support of the opposition Alexei Navalny.

Roskomnadzor indicated last week that it slowed down the viewing of images, videos and audios on Twitter on 100% of mobile devices in Russia and half of computers.