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- Russia said it would partially limit Facebook access over alleged censorship and human rights violations.
- The nation’s communications regulator said it’s doing so after Facebook restricted some state media outlets.
- Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Russia said Friday that it would partially limit access to Facebook within its borders over what it alleges is censorship of four state news outlets.
In its announcement, the country’s communications regulator said it asked Facebook earlier in the week to remove the restrictions and explain its reasoning for them but did not hear back. It also accused the company of various other undetailed human rights and freedoms abuses.
Facebook and its parent company, Meta, have not publicly detailed what action it took, if any, against these Kremlin-backed accounts. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It’s unclear if the planned restriction will affect other apps in Meta’s portfolio, like WhatsApp or Instagram.
Friday’s announcement comes as Ukraine fends off an unprovoked attack by Russian forces under the command of President Vladimir Putin, who is justifying the assault with unproven claims of genocide in Ukraine.
At least 137 Ukrainians were dead as of early Friday morning, and one official said Friday would be the “hardest day.”
Social media platforms once again face pressure to moderate misinformation quickly during a historic world event. Google’s YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and others have been pressured to pour more resources into handling false information related to the pandemic, the 2020 presidential election, and political disinformation more broadly.
According to Politico, a handful of Russia-backed media outlets have posted stories on Facebook and Twitter containing false claims that Ukrainian military forces were the ones who launched unprovoked assaults on Russian-allied troops.
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