No reason to lift Russian ban on Twitter - Roskomnadzor

MOSCOW. April 10 (Interfax) - The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) sees no reason to lift the Russian ban on the Twitter social network, which has not yet deleted 1,300 pieces of banned content, Roskomnadzor told Interfax on Monday.

Anton Gorelkin, first deputy head of the State Duma committee for information policy, proposed on Monday to review the ban, "considering the new policy of the new management" which has unblocked access to accounts of Russian government agencies.

"If the social networking website now aims to be neutral, dialogue should resume and work continue in the framework of Russian laws. And for our state agencies, Twitter could again become a convenient platform for explaining Russia's position to Western audiences," Gorelkin said on Telegram.

"Russian users are not experiencing a shortage of opportunities to get information and socialize thanks to popular Russian social media web services demonstrating active audience growth, the development of functional, learning and entertainment content," Roskomnadzor said in response to an Interfax query regarding Gorelkin's idea.

"At present, there is no reason to lift the restrictions on foreign web services," it added.

As of today, the Twitter administration has yet to delete 1,300 banned materials, Roskomnadzor said.

"Such materials, aside from child pornography, drug-related and suicide content, contain calls to take part in mass unrest, messages of extremist organizations, fake stories, including about progress of the special military operation. The social networking website also continues spreading other destructive content which contravenes traditional Russian spiritual and moral values," Roskomnadzor said.

Twitter has been blocked since March 2022 for spreading banned content in Russia.