Com min: Russia could block YouTube, Instagram over Deripaska suit

SOCHI, Feb 15 (PRIME) -- Russia could block access to YouTube and Instagram because of a lawsuit filed by tycoon Oleg Deripaska for privacy violation, Communications and Mass Media Minister Nikolai Nikiforov said on Thursday.

“If any resources do not respect the Russian law or ignore decisions of Russian courts access to them can be blocked in compliance with Russian legislation,” Nikiforov said.

Mass media reported that the country could block Instagram and YouTube under provisional measures imposed by a Krasnodar Region court over a lawsuit filed by Deripaska to Anastasia Vashukevich and Alexander Kirillov.

The court issued a warrant on inclusion of 14 Instagram posts and seven YouTube videos in the register of banned information. The giant media platforms had time until Wednesday evening to delete the information.

As not all providers are technically equipped to delete separate Web pages, a part of users of the Russian-speaking segment of the Internet, the Runet, can find themselves unable to access Instagram or YouTube.

Deripaska filed the lawsuit against Vashukevich, known as Nastya Rybka on Instagram, and Kirillov, known as Alex Lesley, for violation of his privacy.

The businessman went to court after the release of investigation of political activist Alexei Navalny, who used posts and a book by Vashukevich to say that Deripaska and Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko had allegedly rested on the businessman’s yacht in Norway in a company of several models, including Vashukevich. She wrote the book about the trip, during which Deripaska was said to discuss Russia–U.S. relations with Prikhodko.

Vashukevich posted her photos with Deripaska on Instagram in October 2017 along with her YouTube videos on relationships with the businessman.

With the lawsuit, Deripaska obtained provisional measures against Navalny, Instagram, YouTube, and several mass media that had reposted arguable photos and videos.

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