Russia Blocks Facebook For Restricting Media Access

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Russia has blocked the social network Facebook because the platform restricts access to a number of their media.

Russia's telecommunications regulator, Roskomnadzor, quoted by Reuters on Saturday, March 5, said there have been 26 cases of discrimination by Facebook against their media since October 2020.

Cases in question include restrictions on access to Russian state-sponsored media, including RT, Sputnik and the recent RIA news agency.

Roskomnadzor argues that these restrictions violate freedom of information and prevent Russian internet users from accessing news.

Meta Platforms head of international affairs Nick Clegg said they were working to restore their services in Russia.

"Millions of Russians will be cut off from reliable information, deprived of everyday communication with friends and family and speechless," Clegg said.

Meta previously stopped serving ads in Russia and banned advertisers in Russia from placing ads anywhere in the world due to "difficulty operating in Russia".

Meta also downgrades content from Russian media, applies to Facebook and Instagram.

Moscow last week partially restricted access to Facebook because the platform rejected their request to stop independent fact-checking from Russian media.