Twitter trying to fully restore service in Russia

Twitter is putting all its efforts to investigate and restore its service in Russia amidst reports that its service is not completely accessible in the country, with it facing rising difficulties in getting access to its service. According to sources inside Russia, Twitter’s website is inaccessible since Saturday, although its mobile application still works. Some reports have also suggested that Russia’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor has blocked Twitter’s service in Russia in the midst of Vladimir Putin’s domination to prevent the free flow of information on account of the seizure of Ukraine. However, Twitter has reported that it has not observed any important change after some Russians protested on the streets in order to oppose the war. Russia is trying its best to strengthen its hold on the free flow of information surrounding the war on Ukraine.
A new law has been passed by Russia’s parliament, that has targeted freelance journalists for publishing fake reports about the military, with a threat of upto 15 years in jail. The Russian government has also announced about blocking access to Facebook which has pledged to consistently provide relevant and trustworthy information surrounding the war, according to Meta/Facebook president Nick Clegg. However, Clegg’s claim about Meta distributing authentic information has come days after it has apparently revealed that it has found out that propaganda by Russia has been unfolding on its platform. It has taken down a wide network of around 40 pages/groups/accounts which have operated out of Russia, targeting people in Ukraine, by serving misinformation on Instagram and Facebook.
Facebook has also made efforts to preach messages about maintaining peace with Russia, one latest example being of the local IT workers, who have exclusively used the platform to publicise an anti-war petition that has obtained signatures from thousands of people living in the tech community of the country. Russia’s sources have confirmed that the country is able to access and use Facebook through its app and not through the website.
It is a far-reaching action from Russia’s side to block the internet in Russia from the world and access to VPNs’, thereby declaring it legal for Russians to access only .ru domains and nothing else. However, its potential to fully prevent Russians from using social media platforms is irresolute, given the instances of overcoming obstacles to using mobile apps, websites or using Tor, an open source free software, enabling anonymous communication. Russia has made several unsuccessful attempts some years ago in blocking the Telegram app, highlighting its issues in blocking mobile apps.
For most of the citizens, the effect is the same when it comes to discrediting the ability of the Russians to get access to outside sources of information and inundating the airwaves with propaganda controlled by the state.
The Russian parliament also has suspended the ability of the users to post content on Tiktok, using multiple ways to control the information flow and storytelling online.
Since 2015, Russia has been working to create the foundation for a nationalised internet, in a bid to control the online space flooding with information.The Ukraine war can make Russia’s attempts at creating independent digital space more powerful, although western developments can cause obstacles for the dream of creating an independent digital space in the country, as it has been discussed by Putin in 2019. It's 2022 and Putin wants to have control over the reach and access of the country to the global internet.
EU has also responded to Russian invasion of Ukraine with a distribution ban on Kreamlin-backed state media outlets Sputnik and Russia Today. The ban also involves online social media platforms Facebook and Twitter, besides established broadcast media. The EU has informed that the ban on Sputnik and Russia Today will continue until Russia maintains the war with Ukraine and will not be lifted until and unless propaganda is stopped against EU and its member states by Putin.

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