Twitter accounts operated by the Russian government will no longer be “advanced or recommended to people on Twitter, including Home Timeline, Explore, Search and other parts of the service,” the company said in a blog post.
The move, which Twitter said would affect more than 300 Russia-owned accounts, reflects a new policy the company is unveiling to ensure the free flow of information. The policy states that Twitter will not endorse or endorse accounts on its platform operated by governments “involved in armed conflicts between states” while restricting “access to free information.” This policy is being used for the first time against Russia in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and it follows concerns expressed by civil society groups that official Russian reports continue to promote propaganda about the war.
“This measure dramatically reduces the likelihood that people on Twitter will see tweets from these accounts unless they follow them,” said Yoel Roth, head of site integrity at Twitter, in one tweet. Twitter added that the policy could be expanded in the future to cover other situations “beyond interstate armed conflict,” according to RT — and its comparatively straightforward approach to the Russian government’s accounts. Some, including a number of US lawmakers, have urged Twitter to ban Russian government accounts entirely.
Tuesday’s announcement comes close to a full ban, another example of the political tightrope social media companies have had to walk since the Russian invasion. The Russian government collectively has millions of followers across numerous accounts, including several operated by the office of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian foreign and defense ministries, and diplomatic missions.
Last month, Twitter removed individual tweets from the Russian embassy in Britain that disputed reported facts about the bombing of a hospital in the city of Mariupol, Ukraine, saying the tweets violated Twitter’s policy of denying violent events. But the account was otherwise left alone, prompting calls for a more systematic approach from Twitter and ultimately leading to Tuesday’s new policy.
In a related announcement Tuesday, Twitter said it would begin complying with a provision of the Geneva Convention prohibiting the humiliation of prisoners of war. The platform will now ask government and state media accounts to remove POW content, she said, and it will apply warning labels to other POW content that could be considered in the public interest. Both government and non-government users will be forced to remove content featuring prisoners of war if it is shared with the intent to mock, insult, or incite retaliation against them, Twitter added.