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| Russia blocks Twitter as invasion of Ukraine escalates |
Russia has blocked access to the Twitter platform in an attempt to restrict access to information while continuing to invade Ukraine, according to a report by internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
NetBlocks has found irregular or severe communication outages between major Russian telecom operators, including Rostelecom, MTS, Beeline and MegaFon.
Russians can still access Twitter through VPN services. But direct contact is limited.
Local journalists in Russia confirmed the ban. The BBC, which described the entry as severely restricted, said: "The message got through. But it took time.
The motive behind the restrictions remains unclear. But it comes amid a broader crackdown on social media platforms in the country.
Russia announced a new ban on the Facebook platform after deleting the accounts of four state-owned media outlets, a move the government says infringes on the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens.
"We understand that access to this platform is limited to certain individuals in Russia and are working hard to keep our services safe and accessible," Twitter said in a tweet.
Russian state media have commented heavily on the conflict. She is deeply concerned about the fate of refugees from the eastern Donbass province.
Social media platforms painted a more chaotic picture, with conflicting photos and videos widely shared. A widely circulated video shows a Russian missile hitting an apartment building in Kiev, in clear violation of international law. Other photos also show the use of cluster munitions, although no evidence has been provided.
Internet access is still active in Ukraine, and the country itself has not banned Twitter. Some analysts fear that Russian forces could seize communications infrastructure and shut down the internet if the conflict escalates. But so far there have been intermittent and specific blackouts in the Kharkov region.
Twitter suspends ads in Ukraine and Russia
Twitter has stopped ads in Ukraine and Russia to ensure public safety messages are visible. "We are temporarily suspending ads in Ukraine and Russia to ensure important public safety information is displayed and not removed," she wrote on Twitter.
The platform describes a number of measures it takes to protect users. This includes pausing some tweet recommendations from people users don't follow, as well as search and timeline prompts on the homepage that direct users to Twitter Moments with digital safety information. .
The social network also said it is actively censoring tweets to manipulate the platform and take action against it.
Twitter monitors the accounts of journalists, government officials, activists, and other high-profile accounts to prevent targeted acquisitions or manipulation.
"As we continue to focus on the conflict in Ukraine, our goal remains to protect the integrity of the conversation on Twitter," a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement. “As part of this effort, we have suspended our activities in Ukraine and Russia. Announcing the continued prosecution of individuals who receive material information. We remain vigil and continue to closely monitor the situation.