Russia blocked access to Facebook, Twitter, app stores, as well as some Western news outlet websites, says a new report.
Photo taken on October 18, 2021 in Moscow shows the US online social media and social networking service Facebook's logo on a tablet screen. - Facebook on October 18, 2021, announced plans to hire 10,000 people in the European Union to build the "metaverse", a virtual reality version of the internet that the tech giant sees as the future. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
Russia Blocks Facebook, Twitter
As per a news story by CNET, a tweet update from Der Spiegel reporter, Mathieu von Rohr, is saying that Russia has already blocked access to social media platforms, big app stores, and new sites.
The reporter said in a tweet that the largest country in the world has already blocked social media giants Facebook and Twitter, making them inaccessible in Russia.
Both Facebook and Twitter have yet to release their statement regarding the latest report, saying that their platforms are no longer accessible in the country.
It is interesting to point out that Russia has previously limited access to the social media giant Facebook after the platform continued fact-checking and leaving content warnings on Russian news outlets.
That said, beginning Feb. 25, the government of Russia has limited access to the social media platform, according to a recent report by Aljazeera.
Russia Shuts Down Access to Some News Sites
On top of that, von Rohr also stated that the sites of Western news outlets, such as Deutsche Welle and BBC are no longer accessible in the Russian nation.
CNET further added in its report that readers of the news site from Latvia, Meduza, said that its website is no longer accessible in the Russian territory.
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Russia Blocks App Store Access
What's more, the reporter also disclosed that Russia has also shut down access to "app stores."
However, it is worth noting that the tweet update did not mention which among the app marketplaces are no longer accessible. That said, it is still unknown whether the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store are affected by Russia's latest move.
In relation to that, the tech minister requested the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, to block the access of Russia to the Apple App Store amid the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
This illustration photo shows the Apple app store logo reflected from an iPhone onto the back of an iMac in Los Angeles, August 26, 2021. - Apple has agreed to loosen payment restrictions on its App Store, a major change announced in a settlement with small developers as the US technology giant faces growing scrutiny and legal challenges over its tightly controlled online marketplace.
However, the Cupertino-based tech giant did not comply with the request of the tech minister of Ukraine.
Instead, the iPhone maker decided to stop selling all its physical products, including its smartphone, iPads, and Macs, in the Russian nation, following the ongoing conflict.
On top of that, Apple has also made Russian media outlets, such as Sputnik News and RT News, inaccessible in its App Store.
Both Facebook and YouTube have also restricted access to the two news outlets of Russia.
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Written by Teejay Boris
