Russia, who just used Facebook to help undermine our democracy, wants to make sure they have control over it in their country. Update!

Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times:

In its latest attempt to wrest control of the internet, Russia's communications agency has threatened to block access to Facebook if the company refuses to store its data locally. 

Alexander Zharov, chief of the Federal Communications Agency, told Russian news agencies Tuesday that they will work to “make Facebook comply with the law” on personal data, which obliges foreign companies to store it in Russia. Critics have slammed the law, which took effect in 2015, for potentially exposing the data to Russian intelligence agencies. 

Zharov said that the Russian government understands Facebook is a “unique service” but that it will not make exceptions and will have to block it next year if Facebook does not comply. 

Last year, Russia blocked business-focused social network LinkedIn after a court ruled it violated the law on data storage. LinkedIn is available in Russia only if accessed via proxy servers.

Sounds like Facebook wants to maintain control over who uses Facebook, and how they use it in their country.

In other news this is how Russia used the social platform to manipulate OUR fellow citizens.

Courtesy of WaPo:   

The batch of more than 3,000 Russian-bought ads that Facebook is preparing to turn over to Congress shows a deep understanding of social divides in American society, with some ads promoting African American rights groups, including Black Lives Matter, and others suggesting that these same groups pose a rising political threat, say people familiar with the covert influence campaign. 

The Russian campaign — taking advantage of Facebook’s ability to send contrary messages to different groups of users based on their political and demographic characteristics — also sought to sow discord among religious groups. Other ads highlighted support for Democrat Hillary Clinton among Muslim women. 

These targeted messages, along with others that have surfaced in recent days, highlight the sophistication of an influence campaign slickly crafted to mimic and infiltrate U.S. political discourse while also seeking to heighten tensions between groups already wary of one another.

Clearly the Kremlin understands the potential power of Facebook, having used it against us, and they do not want anybody else to have that power to manipulate them as well.

On the one hand that is smart.

On the other hand, fuck these guys.

I think Facebook should not only allow themselves to be banned in Russia, but also only allow Russians who have been thoroughly vetted, and DON'T have any ties to the Kremlin, use Facebook.

Update: Politico has more on who was targeted:

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was the beneficiary of at least one of the Russian-bought political ads on Facebook that federal government officials suspect were intended to influence the 2016 election. 

Other advertisements paid for by shadowy Russian buyers criticized Hillary Clinton and promoted Donald Trump. Some backed Bernie Sanders and his platform even after his presidential campaign had ended, according to a person with knowledge of the ads.

The pro-Stein ad came late in the political campaign and pushed her candidacy for president, this person said. 

“Choose peace and vote for Jill Stein,” the ad reads. “Trust me. It’s not a wasted vote. … The only way to take our country back is to stop voting for the corporations and banks that own us. #GrowaSpineVoteJillStein.” 

The ads show a complicated effort that didn’t necessarily hew to promoting Trump and bashing Clinton. Instead, they show a desire to create divisions while sometimes praising Trump, Sanders and Stein. A number of the ads seemed to question Clinton’s authenticity and tout some of the liberal criticisms of her candidacy.

As I have stated before, if you did not vote for Hillary Clinton there is a strong possibility that the Kremlin made you their little bitch.