Russia Today reported that Russian businessmen are about to launch a local version of Instagram after the US parent company Meta was banned in Russia due to its policies related to the Russian attack on Ukraine. The new application is scheduled to be called "Rossgram".
Russian businessman Alexander Zubov has announced that he is launching a local version of Instagram after his parent company, Meta, was banned in the country over its policies related to Russia's attack on Ukraine.
The Russian variant will be called Rossgram, and it is scheduled to be launched on March 28, and the application will be available to Android and iOS users.
"Now you have the opportunity to become the first user with special privileges. First, access will be open to major bloggers and partners. Standard users will be able to access in April 2022," the company's website says.
Rossgram is expected to have all of Instagram's functionality, including photo and video posts, communicating through an internal messenger, and leaving comments below other people's posts.
It appears that the social media platform will provide additional monetization tools for bloggers through paid content, fundraising and referral programs.
The company said initial access will be open to "sponsors and investors" and regular users will be able to access the platform from April.
"For partners, we offer early access to the service and more interesting terms for advertising on the site," Zubov said.
On the website, Alexander Zubov was described as a digital marketing specialist and founder of the Web commune. The second co-founder of Rossgram, Kirill Filimonov, is described as an entrepreneur and CEO of the tourism company "The Russian Italy".
The initiative received mixed reviews from Russians, with some commentators praising the startup, while others criticized the company for its Russia-centric name, saying that Rossgram has no opportunities to expand into foreign markets.
The Russian regulator, Roskomnadzor, announced its decision to ban Meta's "Facebook" and "Instagram" in the Russian Federation after the Prosecutor General's Office accused the US company of extremism for allowing calls for violence against Russian soldiers on Meta platforms.
Meta said the decision was taken to protect the right to freedom of expression as "an expression of self-defense in response to a military invasion of their country". The company described it as a temporary decision taken in exceptional and unprecedented circumstances.
The policy made clear this week by saying that calls for violence are not permitted against "Russians in general".