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| Russia bans Instagram on March 14 |
A week after Facebook was banned in Russia, Russia's communications agency Roskomnadzor announced that it had also blocked Instagram.
While Facebook's ban shows discrimination against Russian media, the government says the ban stems from parent company Meta's instructions to moderators to decide whether or not to allow posts depicting violence against Russian soldiers from certain countries, including Ukraine.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, tweeted: “This decision is isolating 80 million people in Russia. With 80% of people in Russia following their Instagram accounts abroad, it also puts them in touch with the isolated world.
"On March 11, Meta Corporation took an unprecedented step to enable the dissemination of information calling for violence against Russian citizens through the social networks Facebook and Instagram," the agency said in a statement. violence against the Russians. Since active users of the platform may need time to upload photos and videos to other social networks, Roskomnadzor decided to lift the access restrictions on the platform on April 14.
Regarding the decision to modify the unprecedented content in the Meta, a deputy report last summer indicated that similar decisions temporarily allowed content, including Khamenei's death chants and chants during protests in Khuzestan.
Instagram threatens to be banned in Russia
The ban came days after Meta announced plans to dedicate Instagram to state media. The platform also hides information about people's followers, who is following them, and who follows each other for private accounts in both countries.
The ban will not take effect until March 14. The state news agency RIA Novosti reported that the ban also does not apply to the private Meta platform on WhatsApp.
“Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are temporarily allowing forms of political expression that normally go against our rules, such as violent statements,” a Meta spokesperson said. We still do not allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians.
META's head of global affairs, Nick Clegg, said in a statement that the company's policy is focused on protecting people's right to freedom of expression in response to military incursions into their country.
"Implementation of our permanent policy without changes will mean the removal of content by ordinary Ukrainians who express their opposition and anger at the Russian invasion," he added.
The temporary policy applies only in Ukraine. "We have no differences with the Russian people," Clegg said. We do not tolerate Russian fear or any form of discrimination, harassment or violence on our platform.