Russia loses access to Instagram as Putin’s anti-war media crackdown continues
AsRussian troops continue their invasion into Ukraine, Moscow’s crackdown on protests against the war — dubbed a “special military operation” in propaganda — and domestic independent media has come into full force. Today, the Putin administration has clamped down on one of the remaining sources for those seeking uncensored outside information: Instagram.
Wire service AFP (viaThe Moscow Times) reports Instagram has stopped loading in the country without a VPN. Communications regulator Roskomnadzor put the social media site on its list of “restricted” online resources at midnight, Russian time. The department warned users about the move on Friday through itsTelegram channel.
Facebook was put on the same list the week before. Both Meta-owned platforms were called out by Roskomnadzor which claimed the platforms were spreading “calls for violence against Russian citizens.”
TikTok, another source for outside information in Russia, stopped services there last week in response to the crackdown.
Under new laws, anyone in Russia must refer to the invasion as a “special military operation.” Those who don’t and protest risk having their effects confiscated as well as prison time. Political pressure persists to quash any remaining unregulated media organizations and channels.
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