The Russian president cited protests in France to justify tighter regulation
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for increased state control over social media platforms to prevent protests like those currently unfolding in France. He referenced mass demonstrations in Paris driven by falling living standards and rising prices. This was reported by The Moscow Times, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for greater state influence over social media in the interest of national security. He made the statement in a speech to representatives of African countries at the Russia–Africa summit in Moscow.
As justification for tightening state control over social platforms — some of which are already blocked in Russia — Putin pointed to the ongoing protests in France, where hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets for several weeks, demanding action on declining living standards and rising prices.
«The French leadership also points out that the events currently taking place in major French cities are influenced by social media platforms that are not sovereign for France, and France has none either. They [the authorities] struggle to influence or have no influence at all over how social media operate in their country. But I think it would be right for all of us to influence this and think about security issues», said Putin.
The president did not specify how such influence should be exercised. The statement came just days after authorities proposed restricting social media access for children under 14 in Russia.
Restrictions for Children
Roskomnadzor submitted a bill to the Duma’s Committee on Information Policy requiring mandatory child verification on social media platforms and limiting daily internet usage time for minors. The initiative was explained as necessary to protect children from prohibited content.
The bill aims to strengthen platform self-regulation and encourage social media companies to limit the spread of prohibited information, said Valeria Cheretskaya, head of the mass communications department at Roskomnadzor. She noted that the regulator cannot block all content it deems destructive. The official also stated that blocking is a necessary mechanism for protecting not only children but also adult internet users.
Internet Freedom Rankings
According to a ranking by Cloudwards, Russia ranks second-to-last in internet freedom, scoring 4 out of 100 — comparable to Iran, China, and Pakistan. Only North Korea scores lower, with zero. Major international platforms, including social networks (YouTube, X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc.), messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram), and independent media outlets, are systematically blocked or restricted in the country, researchers noted.
Illustrative photo: The Presidential Press and Information Office. / CC BY 4.0
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