MOSCOW (CelebrityAccess) — Russia has threatened to block social media giant Twitter within a month if the company does not comply with demands to remove banned content, according to Russian news service Interfax.
“Twitter has not properly responded to our requests. If the things go the same way, it will be blocked out of court in a month,” Vadim Subbotin, deputy head of Roskomnadzor, told the Interfax News Agency. .
According to Moscow, the banned content includes child pornography, as well as content related to illegal drug use and child suicide, Reuters reported.
The threat to block Twitter comes amid escalating tension between the social media giant and the Russian government and follows a move last week to throttle Twitter’s speed inside of the Russian Federation.
In a statement to the Hill at the time, a spokesperson for Twitter noted that the company already has strict policies against posts containing those sorts of content.
“Let us be clear — we have a zero-tolerance policy regarding child sexual exploitation, it is against the Twitter Rules to promote, glorify or encourage suicide and self-harm, and we do not allow the use of Twitter for any unlawful behavior or to further illegal activities, including the buying and selling of drugs,” the spokesperson told The Hill last week.
As well, last month, Twitter was one of five companies named in a lawsuit for failing to delete posts urging children to take part in anti-government protests that have been deemed illegal by the government.
