Russian officials are increasing legal and financial pressure on foreign social media firms in order to exert more political control over the spread of information in the country to help maintain their power. On March 8, the chairman of the lower house of Russia’s parliament called for new laws to “protect digital sovereignty” after Facebook blocked access to articles published by Russian news sites that the U.S. social media company determined were inaccurate. His comments came four days after President Vladimir Putin called for the internet in Russia to be bound by “moral laws” and alleged that social media is exposing children to explicit and inappropriate information, including about recent anti-government protests. Russian officials have widely blamed foreign social media for supposedly undermining stability by spreading information to foment recent unrest.

• On March 9, Russian authorities filed a total of 12 lawsuits against Facebook, Google, Twitter, Telegram and TikTok for allegedly failing to delete users’ posts encouraging minors to take part in recent mass protests, which is illegal under Russian law. These lawsuits follow similar ones issued in January for the same alleged offense, which is punishable by a fine of up to four million roubles (approximately $54,000) for each case.
• Under a Russian law approved in December 2020, social media companies that repeatedly fail to remove banned content can be fined up to 20 percent of their Russia-based revenue from the previous year. On March 1, Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, accused Twitter of failing to delete nearly 3,000 posts containing prohibited material since 2017, and warned that further offenses could result in hefty fines.
• Last month, Putin signed legislation imposing fines of escalating severity on social media firms that ignore government warnings about supposed “discrimination” against Russian media and users. At the end of last year, Roskomnadzor gained the ability to slow down or block access to social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, which engage in allegedly anti-Russian actions, such as marking and reducing the public visibility of posts from Russian state-backed news agencies and media personalities. It remains to be seen, however, whether Roskomnadzor would be willing and able to effectively follow through on these threats.

Russian authorities are unlikely to ban foreign social media sites due to their widespread popularity and the technical challenges of doing so, and instead will continue to target their hosted content. Banning foreign social media sites could cause major damage to the country’s economy, in addition to being intensely unpopular and very likely unenforceable. Sites like YouTube have become deeply ingrained in Russian business and society, while TikTok has become so popular in the past year that even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs felt compelled to open an account last month.

• In June 2020, Russia lifted a two-year ban on the encrypted mobile messaging platform, Telegram, which failed to prevent extensive use of the app as Russians, including many government officials, found digital workarounds. Roskomnadzor’s attempted censorship had collateral damage as well, as the Telegram ban inadvertently also blocked Russian companies’ websites.
• The Kremlin increasingly relies on social media to spread its political messages. Polling shows that social media is progressively displacing television — traditionally the government’s most important influence mechanism — as Russians’ primary news source. Simultaneously, foreign social media sites are supplanting Russian ones in popularity.

The Kremlin’s increasing leverage over social media firms will add to its growing toolkit of legal and financial pressure to keep Putin and his allies firmly entrenched in power by controlling information before September’s parliamentary elections. In the lead-up to the vote, authorities can be expected to issue harsher fines and threaten criminal penalties on entities and individuals that do not comply with their demands, while pairing these steps with longer-term efforts to develop domestic replacements for foreign platforms. In December 2020, Roskomnadzor said Russia needs a “popular equivalent” to YouTube.

• Last month, Putin signed legislation increasing financial and criminal penalties for violating Russia’s so-called “foreign agents” law, which imposes major operational restrictions and reporting requirements on individuals or entities that receive foreign support. As of March 3, the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty media outlet faced fines totaling nearly $530,000, with the expectation of more to come, and the potential jailing of its employees.
• In December 2020, Putin approved a law to punish those found guilty of spreading libel online with up to two years in prison, as well as fines. The Russian legislator who crafted the law specifically said that it was targeted at independent bloggers and Telegram users.
• In February, Moscow city officials unveiled an internal messaging application meant as a “full replacement” for foreign ones like Skype and Slack. Last December, Russia’s largest media holding group announced it would launch an application similar to TikTok and at least two sites similar to YouTube, although it remains to be seen whether it will be able to overcome past challenges in creating popular homegrown competitors.