The Russian government says the deletion of accounts belonging to Russian media on the social network Facebook is a hostile act and an imposition of censorship. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Vladimir Putin, reacted on Thursday, a day after Facebook announced it had removed dozens of user pages linked to Russian 'newsmakers' accused of using social media to influence the 2016 U.S. elections. Peskov, in a press conference, responded affirmatively when asked if he considered this action hostile and censorship, stating, 'Yes, it is.' He added, 'Of course, we are monitoring this issue and are sorry about this decision.' Facebook announced on Tuesday evening that it had removed 70 user accounts, 138 Facebook pages, and 65 Instagram accounts, 95% of which were in Russian. The social media giant stated that these pages and accounts had about one million followers on Facebook and around 500,000 on Instagram, with most located in Russia, Ukraine, and nearby countries like Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. The company added that many of the deleted articles and pages were published by the Russian federal news agency known as FAN, which appears to be linked to a 'news-making' center called the Internet Research Agency (IRA) in St. Petersburg. The IRA was one of thirteen Russian entities and individuals indicted by Robert Mueller, the special counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice, for conspiracy to interfere in the 2016 presidential elections by disseminating content supporting Donald Trump and undermining his opponent, Hillary Clinton. Russia has denied interfering in the U.S. presidential elections, and Vladimir Putin has stated that none of the individuals indicted by Robert Mueller will be handed over to the U.S. Facebook has stated that it will track and remove anything related to the IRA on its platform. The company also noted that the agency was involved in the 2016 election campaign, supporting the dissemination of content on controversial issues such as immigration, border security, and police violence, with most of this content being in support of Donald Trump.
Kremlin Condemns Closure of Russian Media Accounts on Facebook
The Kremlin condemned Facebook's removal of Russian media accounts, labeling it as censorship and a hostile act. Dmitry Peskov expressed regret over the decision, which follows allegations that these accounts were involved in influencing the 2016 U.S. elections. This incident highlights ongoing tensions between Russia and the West regarding media freedom and election interference.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Russian government condemns Facebook for deleting accounts linked to Russian media.
- Russian government announce Facebook
- Facebook remove 70 user accounts, 138 Facebook pages, 65 Instagram accounts
- Russian government monitor Facebook's actions
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Russian government perceives Facebook's actions as a direct attack on its media presence.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%