Facebook might be penalized for blocking page of Russian delegation to Vienna talks - Duma deputy

MOSCOW. Jan 17 (Interfax) - The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) may penalize Facebook for blocking the official page of the Russian delegation to the Vienna talks on military security and arms control, deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communication Anton Gorelkin told Interfax on Sunday.

"This act of censorship will not be without consequence. It would be logical to apply sanctions in this situation, consistent with a standard international practice, and the choice of sanctions is up to the regulator," Gorelkin said.

Lawmakers have provided Roskomnadzor with "a broad range of sanctions of various degrees of severity and consequence," he said.

On Sunday, Roskomnadzor sent a letter to the U.S. company Meta Platforms , the owner of the Facebook social network, and demanded that the official page of the Russian delegation to the Vienna talks on military security and arms control be unblocked immediately and the restrictions be explained.

According to Roskomnadzor, the Facebook administration allegedly restricted access to the page for publishing prohibited content. The regulator views this as an act of censorship.