Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is domestically propped up by misinformation and his propaganda machine, not informed popular support. Putin’s fear of the truth leaking to his citizens is obvious. Look no further than his ruthless efforts to control and bend communications about the conflict, including his move to shut off Russians’ access to Twitter and Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Instagram, along with Moscow’s criminalization of war news that it considers fake.
In order to counter Putin’s offensive in the information war, Western internet platforms must embrace an uncomfortable approach: They should seek to expand access in Russia instead of accepting expulsion and admit Russia’s state-sponsored content, even if doing so looks like a retreat.
Putin feeds his citizens a carefully curated narrative because the war has real costs: Russians are dying, and the Russian economy is crumpling under the West’s sanctions and Russia’s military expenses. And if Putin can get his messages across to Europeans and Americans, he might soften the West’s opposition to his aggression — so his thinking goes. When Facebook banned state-run outlets Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik from its platform in the European Union and United Kingdom, Russia’s communications regulator retaliated by blocking Russians’ access to Facebook. And because Russians and Ukrainians use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to voice opposition to the war and share non-Russian media content, the government likewise blocked access to Twitter and Instagram. Netflix has suspended service in Russia as well.
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