A Russian court banned Facebook and Instagram after it labeled the social media platforms' parent company, Meta, guilty of being an "extremist organization" and performing "extremist activity," but it allowed WhatsApp to continue its messaging services.
The decision would prohibit the US company from operating on Russian territory after Moscow's Tverskoy District Court upheld a lawsuit on Monday that was filed by Russian state prosecutors. The court's press service accused the tech giant of tolerating "Russophobia" amid its war on Ukraine.
Russian Ban on Meta Platforms
Officials also said that the ban did not apply to the activities of WhatsApp despite being under the same parent company as the other two social media networks. Meta, on the other hand, did not immediately reply to requests for comments regarding the incident.
In court, lawyer Victoria Shagina said that the company was not carrying out any form of extremist activities and fought against Russophobia. Since Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, access to Meta's Facebook and Instagram platforms had already been partially limited, as per Aljazeera.
It remains unclear whether or not Meta is planning to appeal the outlawing of the activities of Facebook and Instagram in Russian territory. Communications regulator Roskomnadzor said on Monday that it would exclude Meta from the list of foreign entities that are allowed to operate on the Internet in Russia. They would also remove Facebook and Instagram from the register of social networks.
Furthermore, the communications regulators said that Russian media should label Meta and its various networks as prohibited whenever they distribute information. They are also forbidden from showing off the logos of the companies and networks.
According to Reuters, in the past, Russia has used the term extremist to describe groups such as the Taliban and Islamic State but later included the Jehovah's Witnesses. Authorities also imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation.
Extremist Activities
Judge Olga Solopova's order could result in the prosecution of Russians who trade large shares in Meta or for purchasing advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. A warning was issued by human rights lawyer Pavel Chiko in a message on Telegram.
Chiko also said that public displays of Meta symbols on websites, shop entrances, and business cards could lead to administrative charges that could impose up to 15 days of imprisonment under Russian law. The court decision excluded WhatsApp because of its alleged "lack of functionality for the public dissemination of information."
On the other hand, the British Ministry of Defense banned its soldiers from accessing and using WhatsApp amid fears that Russia could use the communication app to obtain operationally sensitive information.
Recently, Facebook and Instagram amended policies to allow users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and its armed forces. They categorized the speech as a form of political expression in the context of Russian President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked war on Ukraine.
Furthermore, Meta also allowed users in other countries to call for the deaths of Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. State prosecutors on Monday argued that Meta's platforms created what they call an "alternative reality" due to Facebook and Instagram's strong influence on public opinion worldwide, Fox Business reported.
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