The Russian state communications regulator Roskomnadzor blocked access to Instagram on March 14 after Meta said that it will allow social media users in Ukraine to post messages such as “Death to the Russian invaders”.
Russia put a ban on Meta-owned Instagram last week, blocking nearly 80 million users from accessing the social media platform. The globally popular photo-sharing application is no longer accessible in Vladimir Putin’s land. To fill the void left by Instagram in the country, Russian tech entrepreneurs have announced the launch of an alternate platform with the name Rossgram. Besides similarity in the name, the design and layout of Rossgram are also similar to Meta’s photo-sharing app. The upcoming photo-sharing platform Rossgram will be available for download from March 28. The social media platform is said to feature some additional functionalities, like “crowdfunding and paid access for some content”.
