Russia limits Google News access

The Google news service “provided access to numerous publications and materials that contain false information… about the course of the special military operation on Ukrainian territory,” the statement said.

Google “confirmed that some people are having difficulty accessing the Google News app and website in Russia and that this is not due to any technical issues on our end,” a company spokesperson said.

“We’ve worked hard to keep information services like News accessible to people in Russia for as long as possible,” the Google spokesperson added.

Since the start of the Russian intervention in Ukraine on February 24, the Russian government has considerably tightened its control over information on the internet, one of the last resources for free expression in the country.

Many Russian and foreign media, including the BBC, have had their online services restricted and the American social networks Facebook and Instagram have been declared “extremist” by a Moscow court.

Access to Twitter has also been limited.

Roskomnadzor also accused Google and its video service YouTube of “terrorist” acts last week, paving the way for a possible shutdown.

At the same time, in early March, the authorities announced two new criminal offences: one for broadcasting “discrediting” material about the Russian army, and another for disseminating “false” information about Russian troops.

The political opposition and independent media, who fear being arrested if they report on the Ukraine offensive, are particularly concerned about the latter offence, which carries a potential term of 15 years in prison.