Russia’s internet censor agency Roskomnadzor said on Friday it plans to block access to Instagram after the company made exceptions a day earlier to allow content about violence against Russians.
After Meta, its parent company, said on Thursday it would temporarily allow content that calls for violence against “Russian invaders”In Russia, Ukraine, and Poland Roskomnadzor It was updatedInstagram is full of posts that encourage violence against Russians and are provoking.
In response, Russia’s restriction of the app will go into effect on March 14 in order to let users transfer their data and notify their networks, according to the agency.
“The Instagram social network distributes informational materials containing calls to commit violent acts against citizens of the Russian Federation, including military personnel. According to a spokesperson for Meta Platforms Inc. Andy Stone dated 03/11/2022, the company removes the ban on its social networks for residents of a number of countries to post information containing calls for violence against Russian citizens, including military personnel,”Google translated the statement from the agency’s website.
Meta reps did not respond immediately to ’s request for comment.
This change is an exception to Meta’s hate speech rules, which would have otherwise removed violent speech posts targeting Russian soldiers, with the exception of prisoners of war, or those targeting Russians where it’s clear the context is the invasion of Ukraine. Meta stated that it will continue to oppose attacks on Russians.
Earlier this month, Russia’s internet censorship agency said it was banning Facebook in the country in response to the platform’s restrictions on Russian media. Following that news, Twitter was also blocked in Russia. Other tech companies responded to the sanctions by stopping their ad sales in Russia.