Russian Lawmaker has Proposed the Possibility of Unblocking Twitter in the Country

A Russian lawmaker has proposed reviewing the possibility of unblocking Twitter in the country after the social media platform reinstated the accounts of several Russian state agencies. Anton Gorelkin, the deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, said that it was time to consider lifting the restrictions on government agencies, especially since Twitter is officially blocked in Russia.

Gorelkin added that if the social network is now aimed at neutrality, it is necessary to resume dialogue with it and continue working within the framework of the legislation of the Russian Federation. He believes that Twitter can once again become a convenient platform for Russian government departments to explain Russia’s position to Western audiences.

“As for lifting restrictions on government agencies, many of them are in no hurry to reactivate their accounts, especially since Twitter is officially blocked in Russia. But I think it’s time to review this measure, given the new policies of the new leadership,” 

Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy.

Twitter had restored the accounts of the Kremlin, the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry, and other ministries, as well as Russian embassies abroad. The social media platform had earlier restricted access to twitter.com in Russia on the order of the Prosecutor General’s Office dated February 24. Many government agencies had been hesitant to reactivate their accounts due to the Twitter ban in the country.

Gorelkin’s proposal to reconsider unblocking Twitter in Russia comes in the wake of the platform’s reinstatement of the state agencies’ accounts. He believes that the social media platform’s new policies under its new leadership should be taken into account while considering lifting the ban on Twitter.

The deputy head’s proposal comes at a time when many countries are taking measures to regulate social media platforms to tackle the spread of misinformation and fake news. The Russian government has also taken steps in this direction by enacting new legislation to regulate the content posted on social media platforms. It remains to be seen whether the Russian authorities will consider Gorelkin’s proposal and decide to lift the ban on Twitter in the country.

Gorelkin’s comments come after Twitter reinstated the accounts of several Russian state agencies, including the Kremlin, the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry, and various ministries and embassies abroad. This move is seen as a possible shift in Twitter’s stance towards Russian state actors, which were previously accused of meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections.

Anton Gorelkin believes that this new policy shift by Twitter should prompt a review of the blocking of the social media platform in Russia. He suggested that it is time to review the restrictions, given the new policies of the new leadership at Twitter. Gorelkin stated that if Twitter is now aiming for neutrality, it is necessary to resume dialogue with the social network and continue working within the framework of the legislation of the Russian Federation.

Gorelkin also emphasized that Twitter could be a useful platform for Russian government agencies to explain Russia’s position to Western audiences. He suggested that the platform could be convenient for this purpose and that government agencies should consider reactivating their accounts.

The Russian government blocked access to Twitter on February 24, 2021, following an order from the Prosecutor General’s Office. The move was in response to Twitter’s alleged failure to remove content deemed illegal by the Russian government.

The suggestion to unblock Twitter in Russia has garnered mixed reactions. Some officials have welcomed the idea, while others remain cautious. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for Russian President Vladimir Putin, stated that he had no information on any changes in Twitter’s position on the accounts of Russian state agencies. However, he added that the Kremlin has always been in favor of dialogue and the removal of barriers in communications.

It remains to be seen whether Anton Gorelkin’s suggestion will lead to any changes in Russia’s policy towards Twitter. However, it is clear that the recent reinstatement of accounts of Russian state agencies on the social media platform has prompted a new debate on the matter.