Russian prime minister Medvedev goes live in a social media broadcast, but the comments section is closed

A live interview with Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev on the social network VKontakte proceeded with the broadcast’s comment function turned off. Comments were also blocked on social media pages belonging to the Russian executive branch and to the prime minister himself. At the beginning of Medvedev’s broadcast, which is part of VKontakte’s #VKLive program, the prime minister expressed interest in social media as a two-way communicative channel between the government and its constituents. “It’s always a slice of public opinion, but it’s a very fast and often extremely sincere one. There is a price to pay, but still,” he said. Medvedev also called on government officials to be prepared for public criticism online. A VKontakte representative told Vedomosti that the social network is merely a technological partner in the broadcast and that the interview’s organizers were government employees.