Russia has told social networks, including video-sharing app TikTok, to stop the spread of posts encouraging minors to take part in rallies supporting jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
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Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic, was detained at the weekend and later jailed for alleged parole violations after flying back to Russia for the first time since being poisoned by a military-grade nerve agent.
He accuses Putin of ordering his murder, which the Kremlin denies.
Navalny's supporters have called for nationwide protests against his detention on Saturday.
Communications watchdog Roskomnadzor late on Wednesday told TikTok and Russia's largest social network, VKontakte, to prevent the dissemination of what it called information that could lead minors to engage in illegal activities that put their life and health in danger.
"We request that you immediately take comprehensive measures to prevent the distribution of such unlawful information on the TikTok platform," Roskomnadzor said in a statement, with a similar message sent to Vkontakte.
Russian politicians in 2018 backed legislation to make it a jailable offence to call on anyone under 18 to attend unauthorised street protests, a move Navalny criticised at the time saying it was designed to frustrate his political success.
Australian Associated Press
