SNAPSHOTS

Russia Tightens the Reins on Foreign Social Media Firms

Mar 9, 2021 | 22:49 GMT

A photo illustration displays Twitter and Facebook’s logos on a computer screen.

Twitter and Facebook’s logos displayed on a computer screen.

(NICOLAS ASFOURI,LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian officials are increasing legal and financial pressure on foreign social media firms in order to exert more political control over the spread of information in the country to help maintain their power. On March 8, the chairman of the lower house of Russia’s parliament called for new laws to “protect digital sovereignty” after Facebook blocked access to articles published by Russian news sites that the U.S. social media company determined were inaccurate. His comments came four days after President Vladimir Putin called for the internet in Russia to be bound by “moral laws” and alleged that social media is exposing children to explicit and inappropriate information, including about recent anti-government protests. Russian officials have widely blamed foreign social media for supposedly undermining stability by spreading information to foment recent unrest....

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