Russia limits Twitter and Facebook access

Twitter and Facebook are at least partially blocked in Russia. Facebook is facing throttling because Russian state media are no longer allowed to advertise on the platform. No official reason has been given for Twitter for the almost total blockage.

Facebook started with it fact checking of posts from Russian state media, as well as clearly labeling the posts as such. The Russian telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor is said to have asked Facebook to stop, to which Facebook did not respond. In fact, the internet giant went on to to limit from four accounts of Russian state media. In response, Facebook is now facing a slowdown in its internet traffic in the country, it said let Roskomnadzor know. The same goes for Facebook Messenger.

For the blocking Twitter no official reason has been given. Perhaps it has to do with the complete ad stop in Ukraine and Russia. Netblocks, the organization that monitors barriers to internet connectivity in conflict areas, found on Saturday that Twitter is very difficult to reach via the major internet providers in the country. Many images and stories from Ukraine are shared on Twitter. Such restrictions and blocks can be circumvented with a VPN connection, but that requires a level of technical knowledge that not every user has in-house.

These are not the only measures taken in response to the invasion of Ukraine. SpaceX would supply additional Starlink terminals to the country, Google has the app of Russian state medium RT from the Ukrainian Play Store achievedthe west has some Russian banks excluded of the Swift payment system and the export of US technology to Russia is restricted. Cyber ​​attacks are also perpetrated on both sides.