Roskomnadzor Asks TikTok To Restrict Circulation Of Military Content Regarding Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

JAKARTA - Russia's communications regulator on Monday, February 28, demanded TikTok to stop including military-related content in posts recommended for minors. The announcement came in a post shared on their official Telegram channel.

Regulator Roskomnadzor said it had identified content on the video-sharing app related to Russia's "special military operations" in Ukraine and that most of the posts were anti-Russian.

TikTok is popular with younger users and also has a version aimed at children under 13. It's not clear what it means to say that TikTok recommends content specifically for minors. But TikTok recently said it was testing age-rated content restrictions.

The app, originally known for its lip-syncing videos and viral dance trends, has been widely used to document events and share news ahead of and during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The app has also seen the spread of misleading footage of the conflict.

Russia, which has fined tech companies and hobbled their services in the country during a lengthy dispute with the Big Tech platform, has stepped up restrictions on social media during the conflict.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters, over the demands from Roskomnadzor.