Russia says it’s blocking Facebook in alarming new censorship push

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Russia's communications agency is blocking access to Facebook. There have been 26 cases of discrimination against Russian media and information resources by Facebook since October 2020.

Domestic protests over the country's invasion of Ukraine have led to the block. Thousands of Russians have been arrested for taking to the streets to protest the invasion. The regime has denied any plans to institute martial law, but has issued threats to outlets that publish information critical of the ongoing war effort.

The Russian legislature passed a new law against spreading fake news about the country's armed forces, which can result in up to 15 years in prison. Shortly after the bill was advanced, the BBC said it would suspend journalistic operations in the country.

Tech platforms are starting to restrict services in Russia. In Europe, YouTube has blocked Russian news channels, for example, while Facebook has blocked Sputnik in the EU. Apple stopped product sales in the country.

According to a recent estimate by the United Nations, more than 1 million Ukrainians have fled the country due to the invasion.