Russian court labels Meta ‘extremist’, bans Facebook and Instagram
Cars drive past a sign of Meta, the new name for the company formerly known as Facebook, at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S. October 28, 2021. Reuters
Cars drive past a sign of Meta, the new name for the company formerly known as Facebook, at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S. October 28, 2021. Reuters
Russian court banned Facebook and Instagram.
The decision was taken when Meta was found to be ‘extremist’.
Russia has been building alternatives by creating local social media platforms.
A Russian court on Monday banned Facebook and Instagram in the country after finding Meta Platforms Inc. ‘extremist’, TASS news agency reported.
A Russian court on Monday banned Facebook and Instagram as “extremist”, part of sweeping efforts by Moscow to crack down on social media during the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian court labels #Meta an "extremist" group in Facebook ban. https://t.co/XDGqh0On9c #Russia #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/5kzjEGP2Tz
— Forbes (@Forbes) March 22, 2022
The Russian authorities have accused US tech giant Meta — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — of tolerating “Russophobia” since President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24.
Facebook and Twitter have been inaccessible in Russia since early March and Instagram was blocked in the country a week ago.
Moscow´s Tverskoi district court acceded to a request from prosecutors for the two social media platforms to be banned for “carrying out extremist activities”.
It ruled that Meta´s WhatsApp messenger service would not be prohibited because it is not used to post public statements.
There was no immediate comment from Meta.
About the Author
