The Russian government announced on Friday that Instagram will be banned in Russia after the parent company Meta said it would do so. allow temporarily Users affected by the war in Ukraine write posts calling for violence against “Russian invaders”.
Russia’s state media regulator, Roskomnadzor, said in a statement that it would give Instagram users midnight on Monday, March 14, to upload their photos and videos to other platforms. The country blocked access on Facebook and Twitter last week.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said the decision would affect 80 million users. “This is wrong,” he said in an emotional video posted on the platform, arguing that the Instagram ban “cuts off millions of loved ones and friends around the world.”
“The situation is dire and we are doing everything we can to keep people safe,” he said. He encouraged users to keep their accounts private, said users would no longer be able to view each other’s follow-up lists for security, and noted that encrypted chats would be available in Russia and surrounding areas.
Check out this post on InstagramA post posted by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri)
Meta initially announced the lifting of its violent speech ban to allow “those affected by the war to express violent sentiments against the invading armed forces,” a Meta spokeswoman said in a statement. CBS News.
The spokesman said the policy change maintained “the voice and expression of the people facing the invasion”. Meta, the parent company for Facebook and Instagram, usually does not allow posts about violence.
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has asked a Russian court categorize Meta as an extremist organization, according to Interfax, the independent Russian news agency.
Meta’s Global Affairs President Nick Clegg responded to the allegations on Twitter, saying Meta had no prejudice against the Russian population and would not tolerate Russophobia on their platforms.
Responding to reports that the Russian government is considering classifying Meta as an extremist organization for its policies in support of the speech: pic.twitter.com/Y8sUbZDSML
– Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) March 11, 2022
“This is a temporary decision taken in extraordinary and unprecedented circumstances,” Clegg said. “We will monitor the situation next season.”
Musadiq Bidar contributed to the report.
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