A video of a Russian Instagram influencer sobbing to her fans after President Vladimir Putin banned Western social media is going viral, with some accusing her of being selfish.
The Russian Government announced on Friday (local time) that it would be restricting access to the photo-sharing site on Monday after Meta platforms - Instagram and Facebook - allowed users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukraine invasion.
"Meta Platforms Inc. made an unprecedented decision by allowing the posting of information containing calls for violence against Russian citizens on its social networks Facebook and Instagram," the Russian Government said.
"Messages are circulating on the Instagram social network encouraging and provoking violent acts against Russians, in connection with which the Russian Prosecutor General's Office demanded that Roskomnadzor restrict access to this social network."
Meta says 80 million users will be cut off of Instagram from Monday, which will put the income of Russian social media influencers in jeopardy.
Media platform NEXTA shared a clip of the unnamed Russian blogger in tears over the Instagram blackout.
"Do you think that for me, as an Instagram influencer, this is [a] source of income? To me, it's [Instagram] just all life, it's the soul," she said speaking to fans in a video live-streamed on Telegram.
"To me, it's just - it's all life. It's the soul. It's the one with which I wake up, fall asleep, f**king five years in a row."
The influencer then told her followers that she is in the first stage of grief over the news.
The clip was posted to Twitter and has been viewed over 1.3 million times with Britain's health secretary Sajid Javid retweeting the post on his own profile.
Many took aim at the Russian influencer, slamming her "selfish" views as the United Nations estimates that 1500 civilians have been killed or injured, with Ukrainian officials predicting a much higher death toll as Russia continues to besiege and bombard their cities.
"She does not care at all about the thousands of dead people, including her compatriots," NEXTA, which posted the video, wrote.
"Obviously, her biggest worry right now is that she won't be able to post pictures of food from restaurants.'
However, some pointed out that she is not to blame for the invasion and anyone would be feeling upset at losing their income.
"She is not crying about losing "Instagram"," one person wrote.
"She is crying because that is her income. If you have not done any other career, your economy is in collapse, and now you lose your job...you would cry too."
