Instagram is the latest in a line of global social media platforms to be banned in Russia amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Users of the Meta-owned platform were informed yesterday (13 March) by the Russia’s state communications regulator Roskomnadzor that the service would be banned starting midnight in response to a decision by Instagram to not censor certain chants for users in Ukraine.

Today, tracking website NetBlocks confirmed that the block had come into effect as of this morning based on real-time network data.

Confirmed: Real-time network data show #Instagram is now restricted in #Russia across multiple providers; the popular social network has been banned by internet regulator Roskomnadzor after similar measures taken against Twitter and Facebook

Report: https://t.co/1JIs5peFeO pic.twitter.com/ICunkqkhXF

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) March 13, 2022

Chants such as “death to the Russian invaders” are being widely used on Instagram and other platforms in Ukraine as Russian forces continue their invasion of the country, soon to enter its fourth week.

The speech has caused outrage in Russia and has led to Meta being slapped with a criminal investigation, with calls to deem it an “extremist organisation” for selectively censoring hate speech, according to Reuters.

Meta has defended its decision, which involves a temporary tweaking of its hate speech policy on Instagram, by saying that Ukrainians have a right to express “their resistance and fury” at the invading Russian forces.

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in Russia, where the visual format has proven to be a hit. Earlier this month, Twitter and Facebook were also blocked in Russia after they decided to crack down on Russian media such as RT and Sputnik.

The email message from Roskomnadzor, seen by Reuters, also asked Instagram users, around 80m in Russia, to move their content from the platform before it was taken down, and to start using domestic Russian platforms with similar interfaces such as VKontakte, or VK.

“We need to ensure the psychological health of citizens, especially children and adolescents, to protect them from harassment and insults online,” Roskomnadzor said, which deems the decision to not censor hate speech in Ukraine as a violation of international law.

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