Russia confirms that it blocked access to Facebook 0:30
New York (CNN Business) --
Russian President Vladimir Putin's terrifying authoritarianism was made all the more apparent Friday, when he signed a censorship law that makes it impossible for news organizations to accurately report news on or from Russia.
The law, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ, for its acronym in English), criminalizes the dissemination of "false" information about the invasion of Ukraine, with a penalty of up to 15 years in prison for those convicted. .
The definition of "false" is, of course, at the discretion of the Russian Government.
The New York Times reported that the law, which could go into effect as early as Saturday, would make it illegal to merely refer to the Ukraine war as a "war."
The law triggered urgent meetings in the media this Friday and pushed them to make difficult decisions.
The BBC, stating bluntly that the law "appears to criminalize the process of independent journalism", said it had no choice but to "temporarily suspend the work" of its journalists and staff in Russia while it assesses the "full implications of this unwelcome development". ".
CNN said the network "will stop broadcasting in Russia while we continue to assess the situation and our next steps."
This is what the Russian media shows about the war with Ukraine 3:40
ABC News and CBS News said their networks would temporarily refrain from broadcasting from Russia.
Reading between the lines, this means that the international correspondents in Moscow are staying in the city, but not appearing on television at the moment.
News agencies and newspapers also expressed deep concern.
Bloomberg News declared that it will suspend the work of its journalists inside Russia, and its editor-in-chief, John Micklethwait, said that the law "seems designed to turn any independent reporter into a criminal by mere association, makes it impossible to continue any semblance of journalism normal within the country.
The Washington Post said it intends "to proceed with caution as it seeks clarity on how these reported restrictions would affect The Washington Post correspondents and local staff."
For its part, The Wall Street Journal said its "top priorities are the safety of our employees and covering this important story fairly and fully."
And the Reuters agency said it is also assessing the situation.
Although the full ramifications of the law remain unclear, this move marks a major escalation in Putin's efforts to curtail press freedoms as he works to exert firmer control over the narrative around Ukraine.
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It is also the culmination of years and years of Putin's work to curb information from Russia.
Many journalists feared such a strict crackdown would one day occur, though they hoped not.
They block more news sites
In addition to the new law harming the media, Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor on Friday blocked several Western news sites.
"The number of independent media outlets that Russians can read and watch is rapidly declining," CNN's Anna Cooban wrote.
"Russian authorities have restricted access to news publications, including BBC Russia, Radio Liberty and Latvia-based Meduza," RIA Novosti reported on Friday.
In addition, "Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta said it is removing articles about the war in Ukraine, stating that new Russian censorship efforts made it necessary to remove such materials."
The BBC is offering instructions on how readers can get around the blackout.
It is also making news coverage available "through the Tor network, in an attempt to thwart censorship attempts."
Russia also retaliates against Facebook
Russia's media regulator also said it would take action against Facebook and block the site, a move that would deal a serious blow to the concept of a free and open internet.
In a statement, Roskomnadzor cited steps taken by Facebook in recent days to impose restrictions on Russian-controlled media outlets.
Geolocation demonstrates Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine 1:38
Nick Clegg, president of global affairs for Meta, Facebook's parent company, said the company "will continue to do everything" it can to continue providing services so people can "express themselves safely and organize for action."
Side note: The regulator said it had chosen to block Facebook, but notably did not include Instagram and WhatsApp in its statement.
The White House is "deeply concerned"
At Friday's briefing at the White House, Press Secretary Jen Psaki addressed what she called "troubling steps" Russia has taken in its efforts to "cut off a range of information from its public."
Psaki noted that it is "a pattern" of Russia to "repress information in his country to reach the Russian people."
He added that the White House is "deeply concerned about this and the threat to freedom of expression in the country."
war in ukraine