Twitter has lifted its limits on searches for accounts belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Foreign Ministry of Russia, and the Russian Embassy in London. These Kremlin-affiliated accounts were blocked, in late February of last year, when Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Telegraph reported.
Twitter said it would not be promoted on the platform when placing limits on the Russian government accounts in April, making it difficult to find them. However, according to the Telegraph, Kremlin-linked accounts are now highlighted in Twitter’s algorithm-driven “For You” feed for new users at the top of particular search results and appear in suggestions to follow.
“It would be exceedingly unlikely that this change would have happened accidentally or without the knowledge and direction of the company’s staff,” a former Twitter employee told the Telegraph.