Following the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Google News became the latest major service to be blocked in the country. The Russian media regulator has placed limits on Google News. Thereby, accusing the company of propagating “false” information about Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
The decision came into existence at the request of the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office, according to a statement from Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor, as several agencies reported.
“Google provided access to numerous publications and materials that contain false information… about the course of the special military operation on Ukrainian territory,” the statement by Russia’s media regulator says.
“We’ve confirmed that some people are having difficulty accessing the Google News app and website in Russia and that this is not due to any technical issues on our end,” Google said in a statement.
“We’ve worked hard to keep information services like News accessible to people in Russia for as long as possible.”
“The American online news resource in question provided access to numerous publications and materials containing inauthentic and publicly important information about the course of the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine,” Interfax quoted the regulator as saying.
“No surprise”
Reporting any occurrence that could bring the Russian military into disrepute is now illegal under a new Russian law.
Russia’s intervention in Ukraine began on February 24. Since then, the Russian government has tightened its hold on information on the internet. It is one of the country’s last bastions of free expression.
Belinda Barnet is a senior lecturer in digital media and technology at the Swinburne University of Technology. Barnet states that the decision is in line with Vladimir Putin’s objective to “tightly control the narrative reaching Russian citizens.”
“He hasn’t been terribly successful at controlling the global narrative – due in part to the actions of platforms like Google blocking Kremlin-aligned outlets – but does still have a stranglehold on his own domestic media outlets,” Barnet said. “So digital media platforms like Google are a threat to that control. This is no surprise.”
