Russia to block Instagram on Monday after branding Meta an ‘extremist organisation’
The Kremlin has told Russian Instagram users they have until the end of the weekend to transfer any photos or videos they have saved on the social platform, onto their own computers, after confirming Instagram will be “definitively blocked” from midnight on Monday.
The comments come after Russia’s media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, said it will be banning Instagram, after the social media platform’s parent company, Meta, said it would allow Ukrainian users to post content calling for “death to Russian invaders.”
The move to block Russian users from accessing Instagram is set to impact around 80m Russian people who use the social media platform.
Russia’s decision to ban Instagram comes as the country continues to crackdown on social media companies. The crackdown has seen Russia block Facebook and limit access to Twitter. The country has also called for Meta to be designated an “extremist organization.”
In response to Russia’s policies, Meta’s head of global affairs, Nick Clegg, defended the firm’s position, as he argued it is necessary to apply different “content policies” in Ukraine, to allow Ukrainians to express their “resistance and fury at the invading military forces.
Clegg noted the content policy only applies to users in Ukraine, as he said the platform will not allow threats to be directed at Russian civilians. “We will not tolerate Russophobia or any kind of discrimination, harassment, or violence towards Russians on our platforms,” Clegg said.