Putin signs law to expand media crackdown, Western media suspend reporting in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed into law a bill aimed at tightening controls on media, amid the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The new bill sets out penalties for individuals and organizations that intentionally spread false information about Russian military activities.

The Kremlin appears to be ramping up censorship while suppressing dissent within the country.

Russian authorities have already shut down some independent media outlets, claiming they spread fake news about Ukrainian civilians killed by Russian forces.

The clampdown has also affected social media, with Russia’s communications agency blocking Facebook on Friday.

Agency officials said operator Meta Platforms has pursued discriminatory acts against the Russian media since October 2020. They pointed out that Meta is restricting access to the websites of Russian government-affiliated news sources.

US media suggest Russia’s blocking of Facebook was triggered by growing domestic opposition to the Ukraine invasion.

Meanwhile, western media organizations are suspending their activities in Russia after the country’s President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill clamping down on journalists.

Britain’s BBC on Friday announced it would pause its reporting in the country, saying the legislation “appears to criminalize the process of independent journalism.”

The BBC added, “The safety of our staff is paramount and we are not prepared to expose them to the risk of criminal prosecution simply for doing their jobs.”

Also on Friday, Canada’s CBC said in light of the new legislation and “out of concern for the risk to our journalists and staff in Russia, we have temporarily suspended our reporting from the ground in Russia.”

Bloomberg News said, “We have with great regret decided to temporarily suspend our news gathering inside Russia.”

ABC News said it would stop broadcasting from Russia for Friday, as it assesses the situation.