The “Slowdown” will continue until mid-May, but Twitter will not be blocked. For the moment. This is what the Russian authorities announced on Monday April 5.
In mid-March, Russian Internet and media gendarme Roskomnadzor announced the slowdown in Twitter, accused of failing to remove posts “Illegal” on drugs, suicide and child pornography messages. Moscow had also mentioned a possible blocking of the social network on Russian territory from mid-April, if the company did not comply with its demands.
On Monday, Roskomnadzor said the U.S. company had since removed “Approximately 1,900 of the 3,100 messages” concerned. “Given the first steps taken by Twitter to change the speed and principles of its moderation in Russia, and the removal of a significant part of banned messages, Roskomnadzor has made the decision not to block this social network in the country”, said the Russian gendarme.
He specifies, however, that “Limitation of Twitter traffic” will be extended until May 15, when Twitter must have erased all content deemed illegal.
The press release adds that an exchange by videoconference took place on 1er April, between officials at Roskomnadzor and Sinead McSweeney, Twitter’s vice president of public policy in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
100,000 euros fine for messages calling for demonstrations
After the announcement of its slowdown in Russia, Twitter had regretted attempts to“Strangle public conversation online”, while ensuring to have “A zero tolerance policy for the sexual exploitation of children”.
Last week, the Russian courts also fined Twitter around 100,000 euros for failing to suppress calls for unauthorized opposition demonstrations.
This affair illustrates the growing tensions between Moscow and the major foreign social networks in recent months, with Russia denouncing their omnipotence and criticizing their moderation of content, particularly political.
Twitter, Facebook and even Google regularly receive fines, the amounts of which, some tens of thousands of euros, remain derisory compared to their profits.