Report: Instagram Caves to Russian Censorship Pressure | Breitbart
Description: Social media platform Instagram has caved to pressure from the Russian government to restrict access to posts about opposition party leader Alexei Navalny.
Keywords: Instagram,Censorship, Instagram, Russia, silicon valley,Tech
Date: 2018-02-16T10:28:38-08:00

# Report: Instagram Caves to Russian Censorship Pressure

MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images

by Lucas Nolan 16 Feb 2018 0

16 Feb, 2018 16 Feb, 2018

## Image-sharing social media platform Instagram has caved to pressure from the Russian government to restrict access to posts relating to opposition party leader Alexei Navalny.

The BBC reports that Instagram has caved to pressure from the Russian government’s Internet censor to restrict Russian users from accessing posts relating to Alexei Navalny, the leader of the political party opposing the current Russian government. Navalny has been banned from standing against President Putin in next month’s elections due to allegations of corruption, which Navalny insists are politically motivated. Navalny took to Twitter to express his anger over Instagram’s decision stating, “shame on you, instagram!”

> .@instagram decided to comply with Russian illegal censorship requests and deleted some content about oligarch Deripaska. Shame on you, @instagram! This content was spotlighted by our corruption investigation https://t.co/Pa4xVQE8MQ

> — Alexey Navalny (@navalny) February 15, 2018

In comparison, Google has refused to comply with Russian requests to remove content relating to Navalny from YouTube. A video was posted to YouTube by Navalny’s Anti-corruption Foundation last week which appeared to show billionaire Oleg Deripaska meeting with the deputy prime minister of Russia Sergei Prikhodko on a yacht. The video has amassed 25 million views and Russia has ordered that it and any related clips be removed from YouTube by Wednesday, but Google has yet to comply with the demands.

Navalny has accused the Facebook-owned app of bowing to an “illegal censorship request” from the Russian government. According to the BBC, a female model involved in the situation voluntarily removed her own posts from the platform, but Facebook removed two further posts, neither of which were from Navalny’s account.

A Facebook spokesperson explained the company’s reason for complying with the post removal requests, saying, “When governments believe that something on the internet violates their laws, they may contact companies and ask us to restrict access to that content. We review such requests carefully in light of local laws and where appropriate, we make it unavailable in the relevant country or territory… We are transparent about any content restrictions we make for government requests with local law in our Transparency Report.” According to Facebook’s transparency report from June 2017, the company restricted 156 pieces of content over the course of six months in Russia.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan_ or email him at lnolan@breitbart.com

Comment count on this article reflects comments made on Breitbart.com and Facebook. Visit Breitbart's Facebook Page.

BREITBART CONNECT

## MOST POPULAR

- Mueller Drops Hammer with Indictment of 13 Russians in Election Meddling Conspiracy 0 comments - 11 hours ago
- 13 Russians Indicted for 2016 Election Interference 0 comments - 16 hours ago
- Mueller Indictment: No Mention of ‘Collusion,’ Russians Posed as Americans to ‘Unwitting’ Trump Staffers 0 comments - 15 hours ago
- Numerous Injured in Florida School Attack, Shooter at Large 0 comments - 3 days ago
- Reporter Becky Griffin: Fewer Mass Shootings if More Babies Were Aborted 0 comments - 16 hours ago
- Doubts Grow About Claims Florida Shooter Tied to White Supremacist Group 0 comments - 1 day ago
- Tearful Jimmy Kimmel Calls Trump ‘Mentally Ill,’ Urges Viewers to Vote Out Pro-Second Amendment Congressmen 0 comments - 20 hours ago
- Watch: DOJ Announces Indictment of 13 Russians, 3 Russian Entities for Election Interference 0 comments - 17 hours ago
- FBI Failed to Act on January 5, 2018 Tip About Florida School Shooter Nikolas Cruz 0 comments - 18 hours ago
- School shooting suspect belonged to white nationalist group 0 comments - 2 days ago

Alinsky Conservatism
Peter Lilley
Natural Rights are Nationwide

## FROM THE HOMEPAGE

- Reporter Becky Griffin: Fewer Mass Shootings if More Babies Were Aborted
  Comments
- Florida Governor Rick Scott Calls on FBI Chief to Resign Over Missed Shooter Warnings
  Comments
- AP: White Nationalist Disavow Connection with Florida School Shooter
  Comments
- Lee Smith: Everything Media Accuse Trump of Doing with Russia, Obama Actually Did
  Comments
- Maher: Trump ‘Plainly a Traitor, Who Doesn’t Defend His Own Country’
  Comments
- Blue State Blues: Lindsey Graham Thinks ‘Elections Have Consequences,’ Except Trump’s Election
  Comments
- Associated Press Sees Florida Shooting Conspiracy: NRA –>JROTC –>Air Rifles –>Nikolas Cruz
  Comments
- Whites Need Not Apply: Canadian University Excludes Whites from Senior Management Position
  Comments
- Nolte: Nobody Cares if Trump Boinked a Playboy Bunny
  Comments
- Vice President Responds to Claim His Christian Faith Is Mental Illness: ‘Insult to Vast Majority of Americans’
  Comments
- Bail Bondsman Who Flagged Florida Shooter’s YouTube Comment Gets Visit from FBI Hours After Attack
  Comments
- Breitbart’s Kassam Moderates Foreign Policy Panel at CPAC
  Comments