Russia To Restrict Facebook Access After Social Media Platform Fact-Checked State-Owned Media

Russia has announced that it is limiting access to Facebook, after the Meta-owned social media giant refused to comply with the country’s order to stop fact-checking and content warning labels on its platforms amid Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. The Russian communications regulator said on Friday that Facebook had ignored demands to lift restrictions on four Russian media outlets on its platform. It is not clear as to what exactly Russia’s restrictions on Facebook will pertain to, but a clarification is expected soon.

The four news agencies that Facebook refused to life restrictions from are RIA News Agency, Zvezda TV that is run by the Russian defence ministry, gazete.ru, and lenta.ru. “In accordance with the decision of the General Prosecutor’s Office, starting from Feb. 25, partial access restrictions are being imposed by Roskomnadzor on the Facebook social network," the Russian regulator was quoted as saying in a statement.

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Facebook’s vice president of global affairs has said that the Russian authorities have ordered the company to stop the independent fact-checking and labelling of content posted on Facebook by four Russian state-owned media organistaions. “We refused. As a result, they have announced they will be restricting the use of our services," said Nick Clegg in a statement on Twitter. “Ordinary Russians are using our apps to express themselves and organize for action. We want them to continue to make their voices heard, share what’s happening, and organize through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger," he said.

This comes at a time when social media has become one of the front in the ongoing global backlash against Russia. Russia has earlier tried to exert control over internet and big tech for years now. Meanwhile, US Senator Mark Warner on Friday said called on Facebook, YouTube and other social media companies to focus on stopping misuse of their platforms by Russia.

Russia started a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday, February 24. Since then, Russia has captured the radioactive city of Chernobyl and is inching closer towards the capital Kyiv. Russia has been facing backlash across the world including within the country over its move to invade Ukraine. According to a report in Al-Jazeera, more than 1,700 people in 54 Russian cities were arrested on Thursday, February 24 over protests against the war.

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