Russia blocks SoundCloud citing spread of “false information” -Ifx

(This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine)

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has restricted access to music-streaming app SoundCloud citing “false information” about what Moscow calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, Interfax news agency reported on Sunday, quoting communications watchdog Roskomnadzor (RKN).

Russia has battled big tech companies to control the flow of information after it sent troops to Ukraine on Feb. 24, slowing Twitter’s service and banning Meta’s Facebook and Instagram.

“Roskomnadzor restricted access to the SoundCloud service in connection with placement of materials containing false information regarding the nature of the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine,” Interfax said citing RKN.

It said access to the service was blocked at the behest of the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, adding that the information in question related to the special operation’s form and methods of warfare including “attacks on civilians, strikes on civilian infrastructure, about numerous civilian casualties at the hands of Russian soldiers”.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)