Russia said on Monday it would extend Twitter’s punitive slowdown until May 15, although it acknowledged the social media company had speeded up the removal of banned content.

Moscow has traditionally taken a more discreet role in internet surveillance than China, but as frictions have increased this year over the arrest and jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, it has taken a harder line.

Russia has punished Twitter for failing to remove content it deems illegal and has threatened to block the social network altogether. Photos and videos take longer to load for some users.

However, state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said on Monday that Twitter had held talks with Russian authorities on April 1, resulting in an agreement to give it more time and an acknowledgment that the banned content was being released. removing faster.

Russian authorities this year have accused Twitter and other companies of failing to remove posts that Moscow says illegally urged children to take part in anti-Kremlin protests.

Roskomnadzor says it wants Twitter to remove content containing child pornography, information about drug use and posts urging child suicide.

Twitter denies allowing its platform to be used to promote illegal behavior, says it has a zero-tolerance policy for child sexual exploitation and prohibits the promotion of suicide or self-harm.