Facebook Page for Russia Rally Blocked as Putin Cracks Down
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The blocking of a Facebook Inc. page promoting a Russian opposition rally highlights the challenges the social network faces as President Vladimir Putin cracks down on the Internet amid a looming economic downturn.
Facebook agreed to block the page at the request of communications regulator Roskomnadzor, Vadim Ampelonskiy, a spokesman for the Russian agency, said today. The watchdog is seeking to prevent access to further Facebook pages that call for mass protests, as well as similar posts on other social networks, including VKontakte and Twitter, he said. A Facebook representative declined to comment.