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| Russia is threatening to block Twitter within a month if it does not meet the requirements |
Russia will block Twitter within a month if the US social media giant fails to comply with its commitment to remove the prohibited content, the Russian News Agency quoted a senior organization official as saying.
The embargo threat is an escalating step in the long-running deadlock between the Russian government and social media platforms that have played a significant role in expanding Russian opposition.
Moscow said last week that Russia had slowed its access to Twitter because it had failed to remove some of the banned content lists.
The agency said Twitter had not removed more than 3,000 posts with prohibited content, including more than 2,500 posts urging minors to kill themselves.
The platform responded by emphasizing a policy of zero tolerance for sexual exploitation of children, the promotion of suicide and the sale of drugs.
Twitter said at the time: Twitter was concerned about the impact of Russian measures on freedom of expression and refused to use its platform to promote illegal activities alleged by Russian authorities.
To exacerbate the conflict, Vadim Sobotin, deputy head of the Russian Communications Monitoring Department (Roskomnadzor), was quoted as saying on Tuesday: Twitter has not yet clarified Russia's concerns unless it is blocked in Russia within the next month. And so on.
Interfax news agency quoted Soboten as saying: Twitter will not react according to our requirements. If this situation continues, it will be locked up without a court order within one month.
He was quoted as saying that if Twitter takes action to remove the blocked content, Twitter can still circumvent the blocking. Moscow said it contained child pornography and material on illegal drugs and child suicide.
The US platform came under pressure in Russia after it was prosecuted for failing to delete messages urging children to participate in illegal protests against the Kremlin earlier this month.
The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the United States of using information technology opportunities for unfair competition, and social media platforms were accused of imposing arbitrary and indiscriminate censorship of content.