The Russian government announced Friday that it will begin to “partially restrict” access to Facebook, according to an announcement from its internet regulatory agency Roskomnadzor.
Facebook says it has restricted Russian state media’s ability to earn money on the social media platform as Moscow’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine reached the streets of Kyiv.
“We are now prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world,” Nathaniel Gleicher, the social media giant’s security policy head, said on Twitter on Friday.Meta Global Affairs VP Nick Clegg elaborated on the situation on Twitter, indicating that the Russian request came in response to either Facebook’s fact-checking practices or its policy of labeling of state-run media accounts. “Ordinary Russians are using @Meta’s apps to express themselves and organize for action,” Clegg wrote.
Ordinary Russians are using @Meta's 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. pic.twitter.com/FjTovgslCe
— Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) February 25, 2022
As Russia deepens its invasion of neighboring Ukraine, thousands of Russians have taken to the streets to demonstrate against the war — in most cases at great personal risk. It’s possible that the Russian government is seeking to tamp down anti-war sentiment online and further shape the narrative of the war, starting with one of the biggest U.S.-owned social networks.
In the U.S., there’s some support for the idea that tech platforms like Facebook should take more strident action to limit the spread of Russian disinformation. A widely shared blog post published Thursday likened Russian President Vladimir Putin to Hitler, encouraging platforms to “choose sides” and crackdown on the vast network of Russian propaganda accounts that spread disinformation online.
“Would you demand those publishers pull the plug on Hitler, or would you defend the German state’s right to some confused notion of ‘free speech,’ even as Hitler sets out to destroy the lives of millions?” Justin Hendrix, CEO and editor of Tech Policy Press, wrote in the post.