Russia to Ban Instagram From 14 March Over 'Calls to Violence' Against Soldiers

Russia has blocked social media giant Instagram in the country because it has temporarily permitted 'calls for violence,' against Russian soldiers.

(Photo: iStock/Daniel Sambraus)

Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has blocked social media giant Instagram in the country because it temporarily permitted 'calls for violence' against Russian soldiers, reported BBC.

The Russian government's communication agency announced it would block Instagram in Russia beginning 14 March.

"On the basis of a demand by the general prosecutor's office, access to Instagrama will be limited on the territory of the Russian Federation," Russia's state media regulator, Roskomnadzor, said in a statement.

This came after Instagram owner Meta said that it would allow its users in some countries to call for violence against Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as the Russian soldiers invading Ukraine.

Instagram's top executive, Adam Mosseri, called it "wrong" to cut off 80 million users in the country.

"This decision will cut 80 million in Russia off from one another, and from the rest of the world as 80 per cent of people in Russia follow an Instagram account outside their country. This is wrong," Mosseri said, in a tweet.

Roskomnadzor recently blocked access to Facebook, citing 26 cases of "discrimination against Russian media and information resources by Facebook" since October 2020.

Meta owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Earlier, the Russian legislature advanced a new law against spreading "fake news" about the country's armed forces, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Instagram's Policy Shift

A Meta spokesperson told the BBC that it had made a temporary exception for those affected by the war, to express violent sentiments towards avading armed forces.

Posts such as 'death to Russian invaders,' that usually violate rules, are temporarily allowed on the app. However, calls of violence against civilians are not permitted.

Russia's Response

Russia called upon the US to put an end to the social media giant's 'extremist activities,' in response to the drastic policy shift. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office on 11 March, Friday, called for a criminal investigation against Meta.

The Russian Prosecutor General had asked the social media watchdog to restrict access to Instagram because of 'distribution of information materials containing calls to carry out violent actions against Russians, including servicemen.'

The Russian Embassy in the US tweeted that they demand that authorities stop the extremist activities of Meta and that users of Instagram and Facebook did not give them the authority to determine the criteria of truth and pit nations against each other.

YouTube Blocks Russian State-Funded Media Channels

Meanwhile, YouTube also took a drastic step by blocking access around the world to Russian state-sponsored media. It cited a policy prohibits content that denies, minimises or trivialises well-documented violent events.

Previously, YouTube had blocked these channels all over Europe.

In retaliation, Sputnik said in a statement that the blocking was 'nothing but a new turn of atrocious attack on one of the fundamental principles of a democratic society - that is freedom of press.'