A World of trouble for social media

The knock-on impact of a social media ban at the World Cup would be huge

Russian officials plan to limit the influence of activists like Alexei Navalny during the World Cup by blocking certain social media sites. Pic: Getty

Calling Alexei Navalny a thorn in the side of Vladimir Putin’s administration would vastly overstate the impact the activist has in Russia. He is however seen as an irritation, often a useful one from some corners of the Kremlin, and now the Russian government is looking to make a statement in its ability to restrict Navalny and it’s a whopper.

Russia is threatening to block YouTube and Instagram in Russia unless the services, ...