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Russia Blocks Facebook and Twitter (buzzfeednews.com) 118

Posted by BeauHD from the retaliatory-actions dept.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from BuzzFeed News: Facebook and Twitter on Friday were blocked in Russia, amid President Vladimir Putin's ongoing military invasion of Ukraine. In a statement issued on Friday, Roskomnadzor, the country's communications regulator, explained the decision was made to "block access to the Facebook network" after at least 26 cases of "discrimination against Russian media and information resources" since October 2020. The agency highlighted Facebook's recent restriction of Kremlin-tied media sources RT News and Sputnik News across the EU. Hours later, Russian news agency Interfax reported that Roskomnadzor had also begun blocking Twitter. "Soon millions of ordinary Russians will find themselves cut off from reliable information, deprived of their everyday ways of connecting with family and friends and silenced from speaking out," Nick Clegg, president of global affairs for Facebook parent Meta, wrote on Twitter in response. "We will continue to do everything we can to restore our services so they remain available to people to safely and securely express themselves and organize for action."

Yesterday, Russian state-controlled news network RT announced it would be "ceasing production" and laying off most of its staff after YouTube blocked its channels.
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Russia Blocks Facebook and Twitter More

Russia Blocks Facebook and Twitter

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  • To 1984.

    • Really?

      Not an attempt at dialog. Obviously an illiterate write-only sock puppet.

      Too much said.

      • What kind of dialogue on the matter would you prefer me to initiate tavarich?
        • Actually, after reading the headline, I was kinda doing some wishful thinking that the US would block FB and Twitter and other social media as well.

          It would certainly make the world a better place without them.

          ;)

          I guess while I'm at it, I'll also wish for a pony.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Xenx ( 2211586 )
            I mean, there is a bit the US can do to disincentivize FB and Twitter, possibly to the point where they might opt to shut down. However, blocking it outright would be a freedom of speech issue. And sure, possible loop holes and all that. But, it's a lot of effort that would piss off a lot of people in multiple camps.

            • Heh, just be required to disclose an audit log if all uses of all personal/private data entered by the individual and all entities that have accessed it. I can I put imagine that the pandemonium would follow (for FB). For twitter, I don't find many people use it besides a public forum to begin with, so it'd probably live on just fine. I actually don't mind twitter as much in that you can take your data and leave with relative ease if desired. You can hate the speakers at speakers corner, but it's hard to bl

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by shanen ( 462549 )

          NAK

    • To 1984.

      Ah, cyberwarfare. Look on the bright side. Maybe virtual pointless warmongering in cyberspace, might actually be less bloody than actual pointless warmongering on a battlefield.

      If mean, if we're gonna keep doing stupid human tricks for the next few thousand years, might as well kill less of us over it.

      • Propaganda is a strong enough tool to make people want to go to war or vice versa. So, it doesn't stay there necessarily

        • Propaganda is a strong enough tool to make people want to go to war or vice versa. So, it doesn't stay there necessarily

          Really?

          *Looks back at the Gulf of Tonkin. WMDs in Iraq. Two decades in Afghanistan, long after Hussein and Bin Laden are dead.*

          You know what you said about propaganda being a strong enough tool? Thank you for confirming it.

          There's a damn good reason a five-star General and sitting President, felt it necessary to warn an entire Nation, about the Military Industrial Complex.

  • After "democracy" has thrown RT and so many others practically offline ?
      FB and Twitter are being aggresively used as surveillance tools by global cabal. ALL the data acquired or mined is propagated further.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by stooo ( 2202012 )

      can we have this cut of FB and Twitter in Europe ?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by gtall ( 79522 )

      RT was nothing more than a Russian propaganda machine. There's a difference.

    • RT was not a news source. It was a Russian propaganda agency. Even the Trump administration (which was very cozy with Russia) insisted that RT register as a Russian foreign agent. I mean how dare the US throw a foreign entity that seeks to cause our demise offline. Totally disproportionate response. I guess its also anti-democratic to kick Russian spies out of our country?
      • It is allowed to read Mein Kampf and other Nazi propaganda - why not Russian propaganda? Censorship is never the answer. Seems we need Starlink in the EU as well...
        • If you are really struggling with this question, your thinking needs serious adjustment. RT is a foreign agent actively working to undermine the US government and our democracy. Uh yeah. The organization should not be allowed to operate in the US. If Hitler were alive today, registered as a foreign agent, and distributing copies of Mein Kampf, the US would likely declare him person non grata. If there was an award for most horribly failed logic ever, I think you'd be in contention.

  • How will that help Vlad's cause? Surely it will turn the people against him.

    Never mind, the Internet will find a way to communicate without Facebook/Twitter.

    • Never mind, the Internet will find a way to communicate without Facebook/Twitter.

      Funny how the internet will do that...it's almost as if it existed just fine without social media.

      Ironically enough, there are those who are jealous of the potential for Russia's society without it.

      • potential for Russia's society

        lol.
        Ya, Russia's society is thriving now that FB is gone.
        I mean, it's still an actual criminal act to disseminate information that disagrees with official government information, but ya. Free at last from that crowd-sourced misinformation bubble. The state-sanctioned one is way more awesome.

        • The actual criminal act, is looking at social media and assuming it's merely an (dis)information platform, and is benign from a psychological point of view.

          Social Media is one of the most addictive things we've ever created.

          And unlike most other highly addictive and dangerous things, we really didn't put any restrictions on it. No real age limits. No child psychological warning banners. Not even a hint of suggesting overly narcissistic behavior is bad, at any age. College campuses serving free alcohol

          • The actual criminal act, is looking at social media and assuming it's merely an (dis)information platform, and is benign from a psychological point of view.

            Oh. My. Fuck.
            That's the direction we're going? We're redefining the word criminal right off the bat? Should we establish a dictionary of terms you've modified, so as to be able to apply emotional weight to your argument before we go further?

            Social Media is one of the most addictive things we've ever created.

            I'm entirely inclined to agree.

            And unlike most other highly addictive and dangerous things, we really didn't put any restrictions on it. No real age limits. No child psychological warning banners. Not even a hint of suggesting overly narcissistic behavior is bad, at any age. College campuses serving free alcohol, would pose less of an addiction risk.

            You're about to take this and argue that the devastated social media hellscape is worse than living in a literal dystopian Soviet hellscape, aren't you?

            Don't worry though. We won't realize this until Greed has pushed most of the VR generation onto a shrink's couch by the time they're Meta-teen Suns old.

            You know, I don't disagree with what you're saying at all, here.
            But I think we should

            • You know, I don't disagree with what you're saying at all, here. But I think we should probably be careful not to conflate a toxic influence on society (of which every generation has had a few, some more or less comparable) with an actual fucking dictatorship that actually fucking murders its people and actually fucking jails those who would lift the veil.

              That particular dictatorship, is a shadow of it's former self, because of shitty dictators. Bad dictators, eventually get removed and/or replaced. Their corrupt empires, collapse. Greed will ensure that social media is here to stay no matter how fucked up it gets. And it will grow stronger, not weaker, when you find no one is really opposing that abuse, anywhere on the planet. Addicts don't give a shit as long as you keep feeding them.

              Even your most perfect democracies and governments will welcome an

              • Even your most perfect democracies and governments will welcome and empower their corrupt social media overlords that make them rich with both money and manipulation data. And when you have BLM and Antifa riots ending with dozens of deaths and cities in flames fully supported on social media while people who participated in January 6th sit in actual fucking jail for little more than trespassing, don't assume all the harm is merely virtual in Democratica. Just ask a starving Canadian trucker who can't even own a donation.

                It's impossible to argue with someone who lies to invent realities that never actually happened.
                1/6 wasn't "little more than trespassing".
                It was a group of individuals who stormed the US capital with the intent to disempower an entire branch of government from carrying on its duty toward the peaceful transfer of power, a vital function in an electoral democracy.
                Creeps who try to play that down are vile. It was our Beer Hall Putsch [wikipedia.org]

                Further, that has nothing to do with social media.
                Riots are illegal. Pr

                • Even your most perfect democracies and governments will welcome and empower their corrupt social media overlords that make them rich with both money and manipulation data. And when you have BLM and Antifa riots ending with dozens of deaths and cities in flames fully supported on social media while people who participated in January 6th sit in actual fucking jail for little more than trespassing, don't assume all the harm is merely virtual in Democratica. Just ask a starving Canadian trucker who can't even own a donation.

                  It's impossible to argue with someone who lies to invent realities that never actually happened. 1/6 wasn't "little more than trespassing". It was a group of individuals who stormed the US capital with the intent to disempower an entire branch of government from carrying on its duty toward the peaceful transfer of power, a vital function in an electoral democracy.

                  Really? Funny how the actual criminal end results for the overwhelming majority of them, haven't amounted to shit. I'm no the one "downplaying" it. Prosecutors are forced to. Something about actually applying the law. Go figure that the reality you and the media wants, isn't the reality playing out.

                  And if you want to know who actually disrupted power in this country, BLM/Antifa and their fucking insane rants to defund the police, DID "disempower" our police forces across the nation (with the two-faced

                  • Really? Funny how the actual criminal end results for the overwhelming majority of them, haven't amounted to shit. I'm no the one "downplaying" it. Prosecutors are forced to. Something about actually applying the law. Go figure that the reality you and the media wants, isn't the reality playing out.

                    That's not true at all. [politico.com]
                    Dozens of Judges have made statements in their trials that they didn't understand why the government wasn't being harsher.
                    I imagine it probably has something to do with the fear that the fuckers will come back again. I don't know.

                    Your claim of "something about actually applying the law" seems to disagree with what individuals who are actually tasked with judging that are saying.
                    Perhaps there's another explanation that makes more sense. But I doubt you're looking for it.

                    And if you want to know who actually disrupted power in this country, BLM/Antifa and their fucking insane rants to defund the police, DID "disempower" our police forces across the nation (with the two-faced help of lying politicians mind you), and the citizens paid for that in rampant crime and blood.

                    Ya, "def

          • And unlike most other highly addictive and dangerous things, we really didn't put any restrictions on it. . . Not even a hint of suggesting overly narcissistic behavior is bad, at any age.

            We banned Trump, didn't we?

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • Do you really believe this? Where do you think the pro-Russian trolls get their propaganda? Right from the Kremlin. The Russian people are fed pro-Russian misinformation all day every day.

    • Vlad undoubtedly will still let his troll army put up memes on facebook and twitter as much as they want, they will just have to relay this from outside the country is all.

    • The Russian people are for the most part convinced that Russia really is in Ukraine fighting Nazis and Russian people are calling their Ukrainian relatives to warn them to stay away from the NATO bases in Ukraine since those are the targets. Russia is extremely good at propaganda. And even if actual facts do get out, they just lock up any protesters and then the news reports that the protesters are insurgents. You cant' win a propaganda war with Russia or China because it's their specialty.

  • Not that I am in favor of this but ... (Score:5, Funny)

    by AlanObject ( 3603453 ) on Friday March 04, 2022 @04:11PM (#62327161)

    "Soon millions of ordinary Russians will find themselves cut off from reliable information ...

    Exactly when were Twitter and Facebook considered a source of reliable information?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by fermion ( 181285 )
      What is scary is if Facebook and twitter believe thier ad copy. These platforms are valuable in they allow the free flow of communication, and a freer press than the traditional media. And this is why any oppressor would want to shit it down. But to assert it is realizable, meaning acceptable without verification, is delusional.

    • Exactly when were Twitter and Facebook considered a source of reliable information?

      When compared to RT!

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by darp ( 181922 )

      Since the Russian farmer's started posting videos of stolen Russian tanks everywhere. This staff is hard to fake and trying to block these guys isn't the same as blocking the official media in Russia.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by nagora ( 177841 )

      "Soon millions of ordinary Russians will find themselves cut off from reliable information ...

      Exactly when were Twitter and Facebook considered a source of reliable information?

      Note this bit: "Nick Clegg, president of global affairs for Facebook parent Meta"

      Nick Clegg is a well-known lying cunt. He was too dishonest to stay in British politics!

    • "Soon millions of ordinary Russians will find themselves cut off from reliable information ...

      Exactly when were Twitter and Facebook considered a source of reliable information?

      Twitter and Facebook are sources of reliable information for people who know how to evaluate sources.

      They're also sources of unreliable information for those people who have trouble telling the difference.

      Russia (and Trump) are unhappy with them because Twitter and Facebook are trying to reduce the amount of unreliable information.

      Western nations are unhappy with them because Twitter and Facebook are failing at reducing the amount of unreliable information.

    • When they were more reliable then the fake news from Putin. Right now Twitter and Facebook are saying "there is a war in Ukraine". That is the TRUTH. However it is illegal in Russia as of today to say this, you will get a 15 year prison sentence for saying this on any social media or for saying it on any news media.

      If you're of the mindset of "oh woe is our democracy, they banned Trump for breaking the rules", then imagine for once what it is like in Russia where there is no democracy and no freedom of s

    • How do you provide people with informative ads?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mjwx ( 966435 )

      "Soon millions of ordinary Russians will find themselves cut off from reliable information ...

      Exactly when were Twitter and Facebook considered a source of reliable information?

      It's not that FB and Twitter are reliable... it's more that the Russian Ministry of Pravda cannot control the content. Its the same reason they've cut off the BBC and likely Al Jazeera as well. Hence the BBC has rolled out some old long range radio tech to beam radio into Russia. Something we used to do in the cold war.

      They're still letting Fox News through for some reason.

      On a serious note, we know that Facebook and Twitter are 99.999% bullshit, but that 0.001% of truth is what Putin and his oligarch

    • so the Tyrant of Muscovy has demonstrated once again that even a blind dictator sometimes trips on an acorn, or however that goes . . .

      hawk

  • "Russia Blocks Facebook and Twitter "

    "Soon millions of ordinary Russians will find themselves cut off from reliable information"

    I don't understand what these two statements have to do with each other?
    • I can't tell if this question is legitimate or a troll. Facebook carries news from reputable sources like CNN, BBC, et cetera. It also has Russian propaganda. In Russia, outside of Facebook and the like, there is only Russian propaganda.

  • State media kindly tweeted about it: https://twitter.com/rianru/sta... [twitter.com]

    • OMG, I used to think the American kooks with QAnon were bizarre, but those Russian tweets take conspiracy fantasy to a whole new level! Or else they're just part of Putin's team of paid trolls...

  • Given how hard Russia is trying to restrict it's citizens access to correct information about the situation, so they will have to try to find and block all sources where someone in Russia might get such.

    Though in the case of Facebook and Twitter.. I wonder why they bother.

    • I think you mean the United States is restricting its citizens to information. The U.S. has been on total lock down. Any dissenting opinion has been kicked off streaming services and social media. Roku pulled the RT channel from its streaming player. Roku! Are you fucking kidding me.
      • LOL- fuck you, Sasha.

        You're literally typing this on an American site you stupid fuck. Come on, did the Ukrainians chew up all your good trolls?

      • If you don't like it, go try living in Russia where it is actually a dictatorship. What Putin says are LIES. Calling that a dissenting opinion is like calling the Easter Bunny an alternative method of egg delivery. The US is an open and free state; we are allowed to criticize our rulers in the US without being thrown in jail, and I believe it is even our civic duty to criticize our leaders.

        • US "leaders" are just puppets, it's the Party line you can't criticize. Jail isn't necessary if you can be neutralized economically and socially. Putin doesn't have that level of control yet
      • Comment removed based on user account deletion
        • American Conservatives have played right into Putin's hands. They go around calling everybody a communist... except the actual communists. Sadly even the invasion of Ukraine isn't going to be a wakeup call for them.
    • Turns out, Russia will cut off it's own Internet!

    • Given how hard Russia is trying to restrict it's citizens access to correct information about the situation, so they will have to try to find and block all sources where someone in Russia might get such.

      Though in the case of Facebook and Twitter.. I wonder why they bother.

      There are numerous Twitter accounts showing pictures of destroyed Russian columns, captured and/or dead Russian soldiers, abandoned equipment, soldiers deserting and walking home, as well as the deliberate shelling of civilians. Since the Russian equipment is readily identifiable with V, Z, and O markings, not good optics for the public to see how badly your army is performing.

      As for Facebook, I just saw it yesterday but can't find it, Ukrainian special forces have posted on their page they will execute any

  • I mean the thing talks about reliable information, I am sure that shutting down Facebook and Twitter would increase such, not reduce?

    • Re:I would have thought it would increase? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by TheNameOfNick ( 7286618 ) on Friday March 04, 2022 @04:41PM (#62327321)

      That's the scary part. Look at Facebook and Twitter. Now imagine that's the best you could get, because all domestic news sources are prohibited from telling the truth under threat of long prison sentences. That's Russia right now.

      • Now imagine that's the best you could get

        It isn't, though.

        The internet is more than Facebook and Twitter. Any Russian who wants to can still easily find all kinds of information more reliable than what state media and other crippled national media provide. Most people on this planet are fine with believing what is most convenient to them, though.

        There is no excuse for believing bullshit when finding out that it is bullshit is so ridiculously easy.

  • Any remaining access to Facebook and Twitter from Russia is clearly dissemination of propaganda. They need to log it and study it to identity Russian-linked propaganda in the future.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Arethan ( 223197 )

      I'm sure they're smart enough to use a VPN service (at the minimum) for their propaganda factories.

  • Russian news sites are lying sacks of shit. Set that down as accepted.

    It feels soooo goood to cut them off and, whoa! Now their citizens have only Rusaian news because we got cut off due to our self righteousness.

    To facebook, as Matthew Broderick said at the end of Wargames, "Learn, dammit! Learn!"

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

      It's actually fine for now. Both Russian and Western media has been utter lying shitbags on this conflict so far. The real story can be found in countless video collation channels on Telegram.

      But Russian leadership clued into this yesterday, and they started grabbing big Telegram channel owners today for "insulting the honour of the military" which apparently is now punished by up to 15 years in prison in Russia because Duma decided so. Since then, quite a few channels I follow have started deleting some of

      • The real story can be found in countless video collation channels on Telegram.

        Alex Jones is on /.?

      • I have no idea what western media you are watching, but for the most part I've seen excellent and accurate coverage. But then if you think that "video that's only on Telegram" is "accurate," well maybe the problem is not with media coverage.

  • Facebook and Twitter were blocked, and nothing of value was lost.

  • You know maybe global thermal nuclear war isn't so bad if it means we get to turn off facebook and twitter.

  • Putin might as well broadcast on state media: "WE'RE LYING TO YOU!"

    Nobody in Russia will be fooled as to why Facebook and Twitter were banned.

    • Nobody in Russia will be fooled as to why Facebook and Twitter were banned.

      You laughably naive, poor, fool.

      Facebook is banned because the Western governments, vassals of the US, are trying to spread misinformation among the Russian People. Ask any fucking Russian. They'll be happy to tell you. Shit, just look at the review bombs on Steam for any game that updated its page with a Ukrainian flag.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by gtall ( 79522 )

        Okay Ivan, please pass go and collect your rubles. I hear they might be valuable someday.

        • What? How fucking stupid are you- I am mocking how (un)informed the average Russian is, and giving you a place to go witness it.
          How the fuck does that make me "Ivan", you fucking dimwit?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by dskoll ( 99328 )

        Right. *wink* *wink* That's what any fucking Russian would say if asked. What they actually believe is another story.

        • Na, horse shit. Like I said- you can go read the review bombs.
          I don't think Russian troll farms have moved into the highly influential Steam marketplace. That's just a bunch of really pissed off Russian dipshits.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by dskoll ( 99328 )

            Russia has a population of 140M. It only takes a small percentage to make a lot of noise; you can't go by nationalist outrage at Ukrainian flags.

            • How about polling, then?
              Independent polling organizations in Russia show only a third of Russians don't support the war in Ukraine, up to 50% in large cities.

              I think you're in denial over how effective Russian propaganda is.

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by splutty ( 43475 )

                You do know that these 'polls' have questions that are a bit beyond 'leading'.. Right.. Right?

                • That depends on the pollster.
                  From what I could find, this one had a generally respected reputation outside of Russia.

                  60% of Russians believe NATO instigated what is happening in Ukraine.

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by dskoll ( 99328 )

                I do believe a majority of Russians support the war, or at least say they do. Take a look at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

                Definitely, a fair amount of support for Putin... but also a lot of fear to speak out and a fear that what they're being told is lies, hence the refusal to look at the photos.

                Blocking FB and Twitter is not going to increase support for the war. If anything, it will piss people off.

            • The small percentage that make a lot of noise are being beaten and put into jail. Russia is an information vacuum. People genuinely believe that there are NATO bases in Ukraine harboring Nazis that threaten Russia. You aren't going to fight state-sponsored misinformation with facts.

      • Ask any fucking Russian. They'll be happy to tell you. Shit, just look at the review bombs on Steam for any game that updated its page with a Ukrainian flag.

        Excellent sourcing, no notes.

        • You can source it yourself. It's something I've personally noted all over several Steam games, no idea if it's being reported yet, and I doubt those are visible unless you have a Steam account.
          The games I noticed it on were Cyberpunk 2077 and Book of Demons.
        • Steam games that put up Ukrainian flags are getting negative reviews from within Russia. In the interim, people tried to use restaurant review sites and such to post accurate information but that got shut down. The reality is that Russia excels at misinformation campaigns. They are so good that even people outside of Russia believe it. You have people in the US who believe that the Ukrainian war is really about Russia trying to stop Anthony Fauci from developing a new virus in Ukraine.

  • It shouldn't take a war to block Facebook and Twitter. They should be blocked by default anywhere on planet earth.

    DENY facebook.com *.earth
    DENY twitter.com *.earth

    --
    Perception is created and twisted so quickly. - Louis C. K.

  • Especially if you are a twitter user, have you noticed how many of the most emotionally inflaming issues have lost their cacophony in the last week?
    Where are the enraged truckers?
    Anti Vaxxers hang it up?

    It's as if all the bot and troll farm resources are being marshalled for a different purpose...

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

      Public relations part of the truckers' movement have been arrested. And covid narrative is dead, so there's nothing for those who are against forced vaccinations to complain about any more. In fact, the rollback of covid authoritarianism is so rapid, that many people are genuinely confused as to what's going on. Just a couple of weeks ago, it was a horrible covid spread threat that truckers' protests were in Ottawa. Today, there's a large pro-Ukrainian protest in Ottawa headed by... Freeland. The woman who

      • Those truckers are now demanding that the US stop helping Ukraine because Russia is just trying to shut down secret labs where Anthony Fauci is developing the next virus. American Conservatives have been deluding themselves about so many things for so long that they are easy Russian propaganda targets.
      • It's almost like the restrictions were based on actual data, and as covid cases rapidly plunged, and vaccination/booster rates went up, restrictions also rapidly plunged. A few weeks ago cases were soaring. Nobody who's looked at a graph of covid case counts and vaccine/booster rates is confused except for those who stubbornly denied covid justified any restriction. It's almost like conservatives were wrong about covid restrictions being a liberal conspiracy to permanently enforce masking as a power flex to

  • So, what can we Americans do to get Faceplant & Twit blocked from the USA?

  • I hate when I have to applaud someone I dislike!

    Can we follow suit? Mental health would improve nationwide in less than a week!

  • Can we please, please, please do the same thing here? I mean, it would do the country a world of good...

  • I'm moving to Russia!

  • While Russians are losing access to a source of external information it's a good sign that Putin is worried about political dissent in Russia.

    I doubt it will be enough to stop him in the near term... but there is hope.

  • "The more you tighten your grip, Putin, the more Tweets will slip through your fingers."

  • With Facebook and Twitter blocked, the likelihood of getting reliable information goes up.

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