Twitter Usage In Russia Began To Be Restricted In Due To The Invasion Of Ukraine

Netblocks data report on restrictions on Twitter activity in Russia. (photo: twitter @netblocks)

JAKARTA - NetBlocks metrics confirms that there have been Twitter restrictions in Russia starting Saturday morning 26 February 2022. The restrictions are in effect across some providers and come as Russian authorities and social media platforms clash with the platform's rules regarding the conflict with Ukraine.

According to Netblocks, network data also shows that access to the Twitter platform and backend servers was restricted to leading networks including Rostelecom, MTS, Beeline, and MegaFon starting at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning UTC.

To avoid blocking it is still possible to use a VPN service, which can help users overcome restrictions from the Russian government to access Twitter via a private connection.

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⚠️ Confirmed: Live metrics show that Twitter has been restricted on multiple providers in #Russia as of 9:00 a.m. UTC; the incident comes as the government clashes with social media platforms over policy in relation to the #Ukraine conflict 📉

📰 Report: https://t.co/ihPX8fb86s pic.twitter.com/nGrcHzjIXd

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) February 26, 2022

On Friday, February 25, Russia's telecommunications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has issued a statement regarding restrictions on advertising for Russian news outlets on Facebook. They stated that restrictions on retaliation would be imposed on the popular social network.

Twitter has long been considered a social media that is widely used by Russian anti-government activists in disseminating information. No wonder the use of Twitter continues to be restricted in Russia.

The metrics drawn from a study of more than 100 viewpoints across Russia confirm Twitter's restrictions on some service providers starting Saturday morning.

Internet performance and service coverage are determined through NetBlocks web investigation privacy maintenance analytics. Each measurement consists of round trip latency time, outage type, and autonomous system number that is aggregated in real-time to assess service availability and latency in a given country.

The network provider and location count as a point-of-view pair. The root cause of service outages can also be corroborated through traffic analysis and manual testing as detailed in the report.

NetBlocks has long been known as an internet monitor that works at the intersection of digital rights, cybersecurity, and internet governance. They claim that they are independent and non-partisan. NetBlocks strives to deliver a fair and inclusive digital future for all.