MOSCOW (RUSSIA) – Russian authorities directed social networking platforms, including short video-sharing app TikTok, to desist from spreading posts encouraging minors to attend unauthorised rallies on Saturday to show support for imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
The most vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin, Navalny was arrested at the airport during the weekend and later jailed for alleged parole violations. He flew in from Germany where he was flown to undergo treatment after being poisoned by a military grade nerve agent.
Navalny accuses Putin of ordering his killing, a charge the Kremlin denies. His supporters have called for nationwide protests on Saturday against his detention.
Roskomnadzor, the communications watchdog, asked TikTok and the nation’s largest social networking site VKontakte on Wednesday to desist from disseminating information leading to minors engaging in illicit activities, endangering their lives and health.
“We request that you immediately take comprehensive measures to prevent the distribution of such unlawful information on the TikTok platform,” Roskomnadzor said.
In 2018, parliamentarians had supported a legislation to make it a jailable offence to exhort anyone under 18 to take part in unauthorised protests, a move which Navalny said was aimed at thwarting his own activity.