The Russian social network VKontakte banned advertising to users of any services related to moving abroad, including the search for studies or work there. It is reported by Baza with reference to a source in the VK holding.
According to the source, the company's management introduced a ban on such advertising. Now the promotion of services, even indirectly related to relocation, execution and translation of documents, as well as obtaining another citizenship and residence permit, is prohibited.
The "tacit ban" on the publication of such announcements came in the fall – almost immediately after the announcement in Russia of "partial" mobilization. The advertising policy was not immediately implemented, so users did not immediately notice the changes. The publication notes that the rules apply to all projects of the holding.
After the war, VKontakte began to be actively promoted in Russia instead of Instagram and Facebook, since the Meta company that owns American social networks recognized as extremist, and its activities on the territory of the Russian Federation were banned. So, all episodes of the popular show in Russia “What happened next?” was removed from the LabelCom YouTube channel, and the new episode was released exclusively on VK Video. Subsequent episodes of ChBD will also be released on the Russian platform.
The authorities of the Russian Federation do not leave attempts to replace Instagram, YouTube and Wikipedia with domestic services in the country. But the Russians continue to use the American Instagram instead of Rosgram even after the blocking by installing a VPN. An attempt by the authorities to create an analogue of YouTube – RuTube has also not been successful so far. The CEO of Gazprom-Media, Alexander Zharov, admitted that RuTube will not be able to replace American video hosting. Wikipedia was planned to be replaced twice already: by the Knowledge portal, where you need to fill out a questionnaire, indicating your full name, title, position and area of scientific interests, and by the Runiversalis project. On the front page of the latter there is a block with articles about the “special operation” (as the authorities call the war) in Ukraine, the successes of the Russian military and their conquests in the territory occupied by Russia.