Russia threatens to block Twitter over "banned content"

Russian authorities on Tuesday said they are prepared to block Twitter in a month's time if the social media giant does not comply with demands to remove upwards of 3,000 posts of banned content, AP reports.

Driving the news: Russia claims Twitter failed to heed previous warnings to remove posts about child suicide and pornography, and information about drugs. Authorities in the country have a fraught relationship with social media platforms, which for years have provided a forum for political dissent.

What they're saying: "Twitter doesn’t react to our requests appropriately, and if things go on like this, then in a month it will be blocked, on an out-of-court basis," said Vadim Subbotin, deputy chief of Russia's telecommunications regulator.

• The Russian government last week said it would slow access to Twitter to "protect Russian citizens," claiming the site failed to remove illegal content.

The big picture: Russian authorities have long looked askance at the role platforms like Twitter in mobilizing protestors. In 2019, Russia moved to assert more control over its domestic internet by severing itself from the global internet.