Opinion on the goal of Twitter blocking in Russia 2021, by age

Most Russians aged between 18 and 24 years viewed the intention of national authorities to block the social network Twitter as a restriction on freedom of speech, according to a survey from March 2021. Older generations, on the other hand, considered the political decision to be a measure of fighting extremism, as it was reported by the authorities.

Why was Twitter slowed down in Russia?

In March 2021, Roskomnadzor, or the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media in Russia, reduced Twitter's speed in the country, threatening to block the social network unless it complies with Russian internet regulations. According to the law, if Roskomnadzor reports content promoting suicide and drug usage or child pornography, Twitter should remove it within 24 hours. In May 2021, the Roskomnadzor removed the restrictions on desktop devices, but left them on mobile ones, until Twitter removed the reported content. The decision to restrict access to Twitter was controversial, as the network was believed to be used to express opposition views in the country. Over 275.5 thousand state-led violations in internet freedom were recorded in Russia in 2020.

Twitter usage in Russia

Approximately 11 million people used Twitter in Russia in 2019, and their number was forecast to increase to 13.3 million by 2025. Male users occupied the largest share of the social network's audience. Over the past decade, the popularity of the network declined, and Twitter was used less than some other major social media networks. Nearly 33 million posts were published by Russian Twitter users per month, compared to over 496 million on VK (Vkontakte) and 265 million on Instagram.