Russia announced plans to ban Instagram last week, in response to parent company Meta’s decision to allow Facebook and Instagram users in some countries to call for violence against Russian soldiers following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The move, which was reportedly made by Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, suggests Russia may be planning a more aggressive approach toward social media and tech companies in the future. As tensions between Russia and the West rise, it’s possible this is just a preview of what’s to come.

Despite the rising tensions between Russia and the West, Meta has largely avoided the controversy that has become routine for other American tech giants. But the company is increasingly taking steps toward self-regulation in order to avoid facing similar scrutiny from world governments.

It is important to note that in 2011, a law was passed that gave the government power over foreign media outlets operating in Russia.

Last Friday, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said in a tweet that “This decision will cut 80 million in Russia off from one another, and from the rest of the world as ~80% of people in Russia follow an Instagram account outside their country. This is wrong.”

Over the past weekend, Russian influencers on Instagram posted farewell messages to their followers, encouraging them to follow them on other platforms, or download VPN software to bypass the state’s ban.

The duration of Russia's Instagram ban is still yet to be seen -however, with no clear outcome on the horizon for the Ukraine war, it could be a long time until we see the general population of Russia return to Instagram legally and without using a VPN to access Meta's online services.

Most notably, Instagram has provided a platform for Russians to speak out against the war, including wealthy oligarchs and their families.

The Russian Communications Administrator gave the general population a 48-hour grace period to say goodbye to their loved ones via Instagram. Emotions ran high during this grace period among Russians who were about to lose thousands of dollars they received to promote various products, as well as access to millions of followers amassed over the years.

From everyone here at The Frog Initiative, let's pray that a resolution to this conflict comes sooner rather than later and that we will see the general population of Russia return to Instagram sooner rather than later.

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