MOSCOW (AP) – Russian authorities said on Tuesday they would block Twitter in a month if it did not take steps to remove the banned content, a move that intensifies the distance between the Russian government and social platforms that have played a major role in amplifying dissent in Russia.
Roskomnadzor, Russia’s state communications supervisor, announced last week has slowed the speed of uploading photos and videos to Twitter due to the alleged failure to remove content that encourages suicide among children and information about drugs and child pornography.
The agency said Twitter failed to remove more than 3,000 banned posts, including more than 2,500 posts encouraging suicide among minors. The platform responded by emphasizing its policy of zero tolerance for the sexual exploitation of children, the promotion of suicide and the sale of drugs.
On Tuesday, Roskomnadzor Deputy Chief Vadim Subbotin claimed that Twitter still did not comply with the requirements of the Russian authorities.
“Twitter is not responding to our requests properly, and if things go that way, then in a month it will be blocked, out of court,” Subbotin told Interfax news agency. He added that Roskomnadzor is currently “not taking specific Twitter steps to remove banned content.”
Twitter did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.
Authorities have criticized social media platforms that have been used to bring tens of thousands of people to the streets across Russia this year to demand the release of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The wave of demonstrations has been the largest in recent years and has been a major challenge for the Kremlin.
Authorities claimed that social media platforms failed to eliminate calls for children to join the protests. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on police to take more action to monitor social platforms and track down those who “lure children into illegal and unsanctioned street actions.”
The government’s efforts to strengthen control of the Internet and social networks date back to 2012, when a law was passed that allows authorities to register and block certain content online. Since then, an increasing number of restrictions have been introduced targeting messaging applications, websites and social platforms.
In 2014, the authorities passed a law requiring online services to store the personal data of Russian users on servers in Russia and have since tried to make Facebook and Twitter comply with that data. Both companies were repeatedly fined, first small amounts of about $ 50 and last year the equivalent of $ 63,000 each for non-compliance.
The government has repeatedly made threats to block the two social media giants, but has stopped outside direct bans, even if the law allows it, fearing that the measure would cause too much public outrage. Only the social network LinkedIn, which was not very popular in Russia, was banned by the authorities for failing to store user data in Russia.
However, some experts said the authorities could seriously consider the possibility of bans this time.
Subbotin said on Tuesday that Roskomnadzor has the “technical capabilities” needed to block Twitter and that the agency does not rule out slowing down or blocking other online platforms if it “violates Russian laws and does not comply with Roskomnadzor’s requirements.”
In 2018, Roskomnadzor failed to restrict access to the popular messaging application Telegram, by refusing to hand over the encryption keys used to listen to the messages. Last year, the guard officially withdrew requests to block the Telegram, which was widely used despite the ban, including by government institutions.
___
Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Kelvin Chan in London contributed to the report.