Roskomnadzor demanded that the social network TikTok (owned by the Chinese Bytedance) remove restrictions on the video with a video message from Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is stated in the statement of the department.
“Roskomnadzor demanded that the administration of the social network TikTok immediately remove the restrictions imposed on the video recording of the address of Russian President V. Putin, and also explain the reasons for their introduction,” the statement says.
According to Roskomnadzor, TikTok has restricted access to the audio track of the appeal for foreign users. According to the agency, the actions of the leadership of the social network “fundamentally violate the key principles of the free flow of information and unhindered access to it.”
On March 7, TikTok announced that it was suspending the upload of new content in Russia due to the tightening of Russian legislation in the field of regulation of the information space.
“In light of Russia’s new fake news law, we have no choice but to suspend live streaming and new content uploads for our video service while we study the security implications of this law,” the press service said in a statement.
On March 4, the State Duma unanimously adopted the law on fakes immediately in the second and third readings, which involves the introduction of criminal liability for the dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The maximum punishment – imprisonment from 10 to 15 years – is provided if the spread of fakes entailed serious consequences. Later, the scope of the law was proposed to be extended to the National Guard and other organizations involved in the special military operation in Ukraine.
Earlier, Roskomnadzor decided to block access to Facebook (owned by Meta Inc.) and Twitter in Russia.