Instagram to be blocked in Russia if lifting ban on calls for violence against Russians is confirmed - Duma member

MOSCOW. March 11 (Interfax) - The Instagram social network will be blocked in Russia if the reported adjustment of the Facebook and Instagram content moderation policy with regard to calls for violence against the Russian military are confirmed and if Meta refuses to respond to an enquiry from the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor), Chairman of the State Duma Information Policy Committee Alexander Khinshtein said.

"We need to hear about Meta's confirmation, denial or rejection of dialogue with Roskomnadzor, and silence will be viewed as a confirmation in this case. If this is so, I believe it would be necessary to use the intervention and response mechanisms available in our state. The harshest available mechanism, and I am not speaking of procedural issues, the harshest available mechanism is the blocking of an Internet resource in the Russian territory," Khinshtein said on the Rossiya-24 television channel (VGTRK) on Friday.

"Please note that it has been blocked in our country before, so it could be a matter of blocking Instagram if the information is confirmed or if Meta refuses to respond," he said.

The Facebook social network, which also belongs to Meta, had been blocked in Russia previously, Khinshtein said.

Earlier on Friday, he said that Roskomnadzor had requested relevant information from Meta.