Russia’s Internet censor on Friday announced it plans to block access to Facebook, a dramatic step that will cut Russian citizens’ access to information about the war in Ukraine.Roskomnadzor, the country’s Internet censorship agency, announced the decision in a Telegram post, where it accused Meta-owned Facebook of violating laws by blocking the free flow of information to Russia and Russian media on its platform.The move represents a significant shift for the Russian Internet ecosystem, which is rapidly diverging from the West as Russia’s Internet agency cracks down on Western media and some Western tech companies pull service from Russia. Russia is one of only a handful of governments around the world to block Facebook, joining China and North Korea.Story continues below advertisementWhite House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a news briefing Friday that the restrictions on Facebook were part of Russia’s broader efforts to limit citizens’ access to news about the war in Ukraine. She noted that the government has also cracked down on journalists in the country, threatening to fine or jail them for using banned words to describe the Russian invasion into Ukraine.“This is a pattern,” she said. “So certainly we are deeply concerned about this and…
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Russia to block access to Facebook but not Instagram, WhatsApp – The Washington Post
