According to Meta, more than 80 million Russian Instagram users are about to be disconnected, putting the income of ‘influencers’ in jeopardy.
NEXTA, a media platform that exposes Russian life under Putin’s dictatorship, shared a viral video of a Russian beauty blogger crying over the Instagram blackout.
‘Do you think that for me, as an Instagram influencer, this is [a] source of income?’ she sobbed to fans in a video livestreamed on Telegram.
‘It’s [Instagram] just all life to me, it’s the soul.’ It’s the one I’ve used to wake up and fall asleep for the past five years.’
The young woman then told her fans that the news of the Instagram ban has put her in the “first stage of grief.” However, she received harsh criticism online, with some accusing her of being more concerned with her pay than with ‘thousands of dead people, including her compatriots.’
NEXTA reacted to her video by saying, ‘She doesn’t care about the thousands of dead people, including her compatriots.’ Her main concern right now is obviously that she won’t be able to post pictures of food from restaurants.’
Her remarks came on the same day that Mariupol, the besieged city, entered its 13th day without food, water, or electricity. Over the last 12 days, looters have killed more than 1,582 civilians.
The young woman then told her fans that she is in the ‘first stage of grief’ as a result of the Instagram ban. However, she received harsh criticism online and was accused of caring more about her pay packet than ‘thousands of dead people, including her compatriots.’
In response to her video, NEXTA remarked, ‘She doesn’t care about the thousands of dead people, including her compatriots.’ Obviously, her main concern right now is that she won’t be able to post pictures of food from restaurants.’
Her remarks came on the same day that the besieged city of Mariupol entered its 13th day without food, water, or electricity. Over the last 12 days, looters have killed over 1,582 civilians.
Other Russian Instagram’models,’ such as Liza Lukasheva and Anna Ivanova, have already begun sharing parting messages with their fans ahead of the social media app’s ban in the country.
Russian influencers have focused on how to maintain their income by asking their fans to follow them on other platforms, such as Telegram and VKontakte, the Russian equivalent of Facebook.
Liza Lukasheva, who has one million followers on Instagram, wrote her farewells in her final Instagram post before the ban takes effect on Monday: ‘My dear friends, Instagram will be shutting down in our country in the near future… within the next few hours.’
