Russian Instagram Users Move To Telegram After Shutdown

Major Instagram users have called their followers to join them in the secure chat app Telegram which still operates in the country and has become vital during the Ukraine war as a relatively private and surveillance-resistant communications tool.

Russia shut down access to Instagram on Monday and has promised to leave nearly 60 million users (according to Statista) without easy access.

Regulator Roskomnadzor issued the ban in response to Meta 'temporarily' letting Ukrainian users call for the deaths of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his soldiers invading Ukraine.

Meta has reportedly changed its guidance since.

According to Reuters, a leaked internal post from global affairs President Nick Clegg revealed the company was "narrowing the focus" of its policy to once again ban calls for Putin's death, and to warn that the soldier exemption didn't let people wish harm against all Russians.

Russia has earlier blocked Facebook and Twitter and made it illegal for media to publish content that challenges the government's official line on Ukraine.