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The Russian government has increased pressure on foreign social media in recent months, especially those where people support jailed Kremlin critics Alexei Navalna.
“Nobody wants a total ban, it would be foolish to defend it, but it is necessary to force companies to follow our rules,” said President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov in an interview with Argumenty i Fakty.
“We hope this is not necessary and we can find ways to resolve this disagreement,” Peskov said in an interview published Tuesday.
Russian communications supervisors began blocking Twitter in Russia in early March because the US social network allegedly failed to remove certain content, which according to Russian authorities was linked to child pornography, drug use and incitement to kill minors.
Twitter, for its part, said it did not support “any illegal behavior” and was “very concerned about the increasing attempts to block and interfere with public debate online.”
Russia in 2019 passed a law on the creation of an “independent Internet” that would make it possible to disconnect the country’s Internet from the global Internet network. Activists say this would allow the government to tighten controls over cyberspace and stifle free speech.
“If you do not agree with our rules, you cannot work here. No country worth its salt will allow a company to increase its conditions. It is impossible,” said D. Peskov.
A Kremlin spokesman also said Putin did not have social media accounts and “did not want to waste time.”
“It just came to our attention then. He has loved ones and loved ones who show him and tell him things,” said D. Peskov.
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