Russian court upholds ban on Meta's Facebook, Instagram over 'extremist activities,' but still allows WhatsApp
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A Moscow court on Monday found Meta’s Facebook and Instagram guilty of "extremist activities," strengthening an already existing ban on the social networks by preventing them from doing further business in Russia. Citizens, however, can continue using Meta-owned WhatsApp messaging.
The Tverskoy District Court of Moscow sided with a lawsuit brought by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation earlier this month, ruling that Facebook and Instagram should still be banned "on the grounds of realizing extremist activity," Russian state-run media company TASS reported.
Judge Olga Solopova said the American owned Meta would be prevented from opening branches or conducting further business in Russia. Russian regulators have already blocked access to Facebook and Instagram, but Monday’s ruling clarified that Russian civilians who find ways around government restrictions and are found to be still using the platforms will not be prosecuted.
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Russians could be prosecuted for trading large shares in Meta or for purchasing advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, human rights lawyer Pavel Chiko warned in a message on Telegram, according to Reuters. He also said public displays of Meta symbols on websites, shop entrances and business cards could result in administrative charges and up to 15 days in jail under Russian law.
The logos WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and Facebook are displayed on an iPhone screen in front of a Meta logo on Feb. 3, 2022, in Paris, France. (Photo illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The court decision did not apply to the messaging service WhatsApp because of "its lack of functionality for the public dissemination of information," the ruling said. Separately, the British Ministry of Defense banned its soldiers from using WhatsApp amid concerns Russia could be hacking the platform to obtain operationally sensitive information, the Daily Mail reported Sunday.
Facebook and Instagram amended policies to allow users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and Russian armed forces, categorizing the speech as a form of political expression in the context of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported March 10. Meta also temporarily allowed users in some countries to call for the deaths of Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to a journalist's question during a news conference in the Kremlin in Moscow on Feb. 1, 2022. (Yuri Kochetkov/Pool Photo via AP / AP Newsroom)
The company since backtracked, saying temporarily allowing such language allowed Ukrainians to express opposition to the invasion launched on Feb. 24. Meta narrowed its policy again to ban calls for the death of heads or states or violence against Russians in general.
In response, the Russian government regulatory agency, Roskomnadzor, announced it will block access to Facebook and Instagram, first giving Russian users two days to notify followers and transfer content to other social media networks. The ban on Instagram took effect on March 14.
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In court Monday, state prosecutors claimed Meta’s platforms created an "alternative reality," noting Facebook and Instagram’s strong influence on public opinion.
The ruling could be reversed if Meta admits to violating Russian’s sweeping anti-extremism law, unblocks accounts of Russian media and public figures and "returns to the observance of the principle of neutrality," Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the State Duma committee on information policy, told TASS. He also said Meta offices should be required to have Russian representatives.
