Tracking Social Media Takedowns and Content Moderation During the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine

[Nevilledog]

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https://mediamanipulation.org/research/tracking-social-media-takedowns-and-content-moderation-during-2022-russian-invasion


As Russia continues the invasion of Ukraine it began on Feb. 21, 2022, major internet companies are struggling to respond to a mix of pressure from both the Ukrainian and Russian governments to remove content on their sites posted from both countries.

The Technology and Social Change Project at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center is tracking moves by major technology companies and governments to limit the flow of misinformation. This includes state sponsored misinformation and content removed at the behest of governments, as people worldwide flock to social media to receive updates of the rapidly unfolding violence. In our research tracking how social media companies race to mitigate the rapid spread of confusing and false information in the throes of a violent crisis, we’ve found that internet companies tend to follow each others’ lead, often coordinating with and echoing the actions of other platforms that took initial steps to remove false or misleading content.

We will continue to add daily updates as the battle to control global and local narratives of the escalating crisis is waged online. These updates will be accompanied by a note indicating when the change was made.

Wednesday, Feb. 23

2/23 - Roskomnadzor, Russia’s telecommunications regulator, sent a letter to Google, requesting the company to remove restrictions on the YouTube channel of Denis Pushilin, the leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine, which Moscow recognises as independent.


Friday, Feb. 25

2/25 - Facebook’s head of security Nathaniel Gleicher tweeted that Facebook will stop allowing Russian state media from running ads on its properties.

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