Russia cracks down on dissenting media, blocks Facebook
By JAMES ELLINGWORTH
Associated Press
DUSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has intensified a crackdown on media outlets and individuals who fail to hew to the Kremlin line on the war in Ukraine. He signing into law a bill that criminalizes the intentional spreading of what Moscow deems to be “fake” reports. Russia also has blocked Facebook and Twitter. The moves follow blocks imposed on the BBC, the U.S. government-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and Latvia-based website Meduza. The sweeping action against the foreign outlets that publish news in Russian seeks to establish even tighter controls over what information the domestic audience sees about the invasion of Ukraine.
