Russia has restricted access to SoundCloud, an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website, for allegedly spreading false information.
Russian communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor said it blocked Soundcloud at the request of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office received on September 22.
Headquartered in Berlin, SoundCloud is accused of spreading information that is prohibited in Russia and contains "calls for mass riots and participation in unauthorized actions, extremism, as well as unreliable socially significant information distributed under the guise of reliable messages."
The Kremlin insists on calling the largest military conflict in Europe since the end of the Second World War a "special military operation to denazify Ukraine" and pushes tech companies to do the same.
However, it's yet another battle Russia has been losing - major tech brands, from YouTube to Apple, have insisted on calling things as they are.
For example, Google publishes quarterly updates about YouTube's effort to suspend Russian propaganda channels. Since late February, YouTube has removed at least 9,000 channels and 70,000 videos related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Much of the removed content echoed the Kremlin's narratives.
Recently, Apple removed the most popular Russian social media platform VKontakte from its App Store, provoking Roskomnadzor to send yet another "we demand an explanation" letter to the technology giant.
Just last week, Meta took down the largest Russian propaganda campaign since the invasion. Pro-Russian threat actors impersonated well-known and respected European news outlets, including the Guardian and Spiegel, to spread fake news. The Russian embassies in Europe amplified the content.
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