Russia Places a Ban on Meta’s Social Networks (Facebook and Instagram)

Following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has placed a ban on various media outlets. Russia recently released a list of various online resources whose access has been restricted in Russia, and Instagram, as well as Facebook, have found themselves on this list. 

On Monday, July 14, 2022, users of the social network found they couldn’t access the Instagram platform in Russia. This new development follows Moscow’s accusation against Meta, the parent company of Instagram. Moscow accused Meta of allowing users on its platform to incite violence against Russians as well as the Russian military.

This move was, of course, expected after Russia blocked Twitter as well as Facebook earlier in March in its efforts to control the information that was made available to the Russian public in regards to its military invasion of Ukraine. 

Meta found its social media platform on the list of online resources that have been restricted in Russia. The list was published on Monday by Roskomnadzor, which is a Russian regulatory body for communication and mass media.

Currently, the only way to access these banned sites is through the use of a VPN. Facebook, as well as Instagram, are used by a large section of the Russian population (approximately 80 million), with Instagram being more popular with young people. In addition, many Russian businesses used Instagram as a common platform to advertise their products, communicate with customers, and process product sales.

One thing’s for sure, this is an attack on free speech and will not sit well with a lot of Russians, considering some of the Russian oligarchs are still on some of these platforms. 

What are your thoughts regarding these bans Russia has placed on Instagram and other online resources? Please share your opinion with us in the comment section below.