Russian authorities decided Monday not to follow through on threats to block Twitter, saying the social media giant had deleted large portions of online content regarding suicide, drugs, and child pornography, deemed illegal by the Kremlin.
However, Russia has said it will continue to slow down the speed of uploading photos and videos to the platform until all of the banned content is removed and Twitter makes systemic changes to remove prohibited posts more quickly.
The government warned that if other American social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube do not comply with national laws, they could be penalized in a similar fashion.
“If these platforms fail to take appropriate action, they may face similar sanctions,” Russian state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said in a statement to Reuters.
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Roskomnadzor added that Twitter had only taken down 91% of the prohibited content thus far and requested that all banned content be removed by online platforms within 24 hours of being notified, in accordance with the Russian laws.
There has been a struggle between Moscow and Twitter in the past few months regarding content moderation because of the role the platform has played in giving Russian dissenters a voice.
The government has repeatedly criticized Facebook and Twitter for allowing people to organize on their platforms in January and stage large protests in person to fight for the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is one of the most prominent critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Roskomnadzor has slowed down Twitter since March for not removing prohibited content fast enough and recently even threatened to block the website altogether, in an attempt to have tighter controls over online speech.
Twitter in a statement Monday said it is glad Russia decided not to block its service.
“Access to a free and open Internet is an essential right for all citizens, which also protects free expression and promotes fair competition,” Twitter said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “We remain deeply committed to offering a safe service to account holders around the world — including those in Russia. As part of this endeavor, we will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with Roskomnadzor into the future.”
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Twitter denied that its platform has been used to amplify illegal behavior and says it has a zero-tolerance policy for child sexual exploitation, child pornography, and any promotion of suicide or drug sales.
