Russian court upholds ban on ‘extremist’ Facebook and Instagram

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The judge in the Tverskoy Court of Moscow ruled to ban Meta based on the fact that it was engaging in fascist activities. The court has ruled to grant the Russian Prosecutor General's Office's lawsuit, according to the judge. The ban will prevent Meta from opening new branches in the country and will take effect immediately.

Last week, a moderation policy was put in place by Facebook and Instagram to allow users in eastern European countries to call for violence against Russian soldiers. The platforms initially told moderators to allow posts with calls for the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but later narrowed its policy with guidance explicitly banning calls for violence against Russian citizens or any heads of state.

An official for Russia's communications regulator said during the hearing that the company's operations are subject to a ban because of their engagement with extremists. The Russian prosecutor general's office requested the ban.

The officer of the FSB argued that the activities of Meta were geared against Russia and its armed forces. We insist that Meta's activities be banned immediately, as representatives for the prosecution said that the use of Facebook andInstagram would not make individuals liable for participating in extremism, according to the outlet.

The ban on access to Facebook andInstagram was put in place after the platforms were accused of discriminating against Russian state media. Russian state media have been banned from advertising on the platform, as well as access to the state-owned outlets in the European Union.