The representative office of the social network TikTok in Russia contacted the State Duma commission to investigate the facts of foreign interference in internal Russian affairs and expressed its willingness to answer the questions that the deputies had on the social network. This is stated in the message of the press service of the head of the commission Vasily Piskarev, which was received by Izvestia on Thursday, January 28.
“Contact has been established with the leadership of the Internet platform. On their part, they declared their readiness to promptly answer our questions, and we intend to agree on a format for further interaction in the near future, ”the press service quotes Piskarev as saying.
The head of the Duma commission stressed the interest of all parties in ensuring that media resources targeting the Russian audience comply with Russian legislation.
He stressed that social networks and video hosting are increasingly entering our lives, their influence is great. The State Duma considers “the dissemination of content that promotes violence, contains calls to participate in illegal actions and poses a real threat to the life and health of people is unacceptable.”
The day before, Piskarev announced that he had invited Sergei Sokolov, the general director of TikTok’s representative office in Russia, to a conversation with the State Duma. He noted that this company has accumulated questions that need to be discussed with Sokolov, and “to establish further interaction.”
On January 21, Roskomnadzor warned that it would prosecute Internet resources for involving minors in illegal activities. The agency noted that calls for teenagers to participate in uncoordinated actions on January 23 were revealed on TikTok, VKontakte, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Roskomnadzor said that by January 23, social networks had removed 89% of such materials. On TikTok, there were the most such calls.
The hashtag #ChildrenVnePolitiki was launched on the Internet to ensure the safety of minors in connection with calls to go to uncoordinated events. On January 20, social networks recorded a massive spread of calls to participate in such actions, the addressees of the distribution were children aged 12-14 years.
Unauthorized actions took place in Moscow and other cities of Russia on January 23. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, there were children among the detainees. On the eve of the action, the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case on the involvement of children in illegal actions on the facts of calls to participate in illegal activities.
267 people were brought to administrative responsibility for violations during an unauthorized event in Moscow. The court placed 110 participants under administrative arrest.
In addition, seven criminal cases are being investigated on the use of violence against government officials, including attacks on law enforcement officials.
According to the police, some of the participants in illegal actions fell ill with COVID-19. They were isolated at their place of residence due to the diagnosis.