Russia partially blocks Facebook after feud over fact-checking state media

Russia announced it would partially block access to Facebook in the country, complaining that certain state media outlets should not be treated as such by Meta, the social media platform’s parent company.

The state censorship agency, Roskomnadzor, claimed in a statement that Facebook’s restrictions on four Russian media outlets – state-run news agency RIA Novosti, the Defense Ministry’s Zvezda channel, and Russian-owned only publications Lenta.ru and Gazeta.ru – violated Russian law.

The statement also claimed Facebook had censored state media 23 times since October 2020, leading Russian authorities to designate the platform as being “involved in the violation of fundamental human rights and freedoms,” reported Gizmodo.

Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs, said Facebook refused demands by Moscow to stop labeling Russian state media and defended its apps as tools to organize.

"Yesterday, Russian authorities ordered us to stop the independent fact-checking and labeling of content posted on Facebook by four Russian state-owned media organizations. We refused. As a result, they have announced they will be restricting the use of our services," Clegg told Fox News Digital in a statement.

"Ordinary Russians are using our apps to express themselves and organize for action. We want them to continue to make their voices heard, share what’s happening, and organize through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger."

Russia-backed media were parroting Kremlin claims about the invasion of Ukraine, such as how the Ukrainians instigated the war and that the goal of the operation was to “denazify” Ukraine, whose president is Jewish and had family members die in the Holocaust.

Experts told Fox News that this was a clear move to clamp down domestic unrest over the decision to invade.

"Putin's decision to limit access to Facebook is a terrible omen for Russian freedom," said Ret. Lt. Col. Robert Lee Maginnis, a military analyst. "It is the proverbial camel's nose under the tent. Expect much worse denial of freedom to follow. This is especially true as evidenced by the Kremlin's recent decision to clamp down on anti-war protesters."

Russian police arrested over 1,700 protestors who took to the streets of St. Petersburg and other major cities to protest the invasion of Ukraine.