Russia has accused American microblogging and social networking service Twitter of resorting to "a blatant act of censorship" by concealing a post on the Russian Foreign Ministry's official account in English behind a warning that it violates the platform's rules.
The post covered the main points of the Russian Defence Ministry's statement about the provocation in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and a link to the full text of the statement. The material was marked as “offensive” on Tuesday and the ability of Twitter users to share it has been drastically curtailed.
"This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about abusive behaviour. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible," Twitter highlights on the hidden post.
Moscow said that this is the first time such a restriction has been placed on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s verified account since it was created in 2011.
"We regard this step as clear confirmation that Twitter as well as other US tech companies are direct participants in an unprecedented act of information aggression launched by Washington and its satellites, which is designed to shape international public opinion, creating a vastly distorted picture of events in Ukraine," a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said on Wednesday.
"Large-scale measures are being taken to conceal the horrendous crimes committed by the Kiev regime that is steeped in Nazi ideology. The fabrication of pretexts for ramping up political and sanctions pressure on Russia and flooding Ukraine with an endless supply of weapons continues unabated," it added.
Before it was censored, the post was seen by over two million users, mainly outside of Russia.
"Obviously, the widespread interest prompted Twitter executives to resort to these unscrupulous methods. We demand that Twitter immediately restore access to this post. There can be no place for bias in the company’s content moderation in the future. Otherwise, it may acquire a reputation as an accomplice to the Kiev regime’s atrocities," stated the Russian MFA.
Also Read: Moscow mocks at Ukraine's claim that Russian troops had committed war crimes in Bucha
