A Moscow court finds Meta guilty of “extremist activity”, applying the decision to the already-banned Facebook and Instagram; WhatsApp remains unaffected
Facebook and Instagram face the immediate legal effect of the Moscow court's decision, while WhatsApp remains available under the stated exemption.
Meta's Russian presence is narrowed to an unaffected messaging service rather than its two named social-network products.
Second-order effects
The WhatsApp exemption concentrates Meta's remaining Russian user access in messaging, making that service the key unresolved point in the company's regulatory dispute with Russia.
Russia's later WhatsApp block shows that the original communications-service distinction did not establish a durable operating boundary for Meta.
Third-order effects
The sequence points toward platform access being determined service by service by Russian authorities, rather than by a single stable status for a multinational internet company.
As Russia pairs restrictions on Meta services with promotion of Max, messaging availability becomes part of a broader shift toward state-directed digital channels.
The trend: Russia's treatment of Meta shows a progression from targeted social-platform restrictions toward tighter control of the communications services that remain available to its users.
New: Facebook and Instagram, which were already blocked in Russia, have been officially banned by a Russian court for being “extremist” https://twitter.com/...
Here's the judge in Moscow today reading out her verdict declaring Meta to be an illegal extremist organization — effective immediately. https://twitter.com/...
Human rights lawyer warns any public display of Meta symbols on websites, shop entrances, business cards could be grounds for administrative charges and up to 15 days in jail. “Buying adverts on both social networks or trading Meta's shares may qualify as financing extremism” htt…
Russian trolls factory, which discredited our uprising, is now actively working in the comments on Instagram and Facebook, trying to sow hatred between Belarusians and Ukrainians. This is how they are trying to involve Belarus in their bloody massacre against fraternal Ukraine
We condemn a Moscow court's decision to designate @Meta, including @facebookapp and @instagram, as “extremist.” This assault on access to information must stop.
I wonder why Russia didn't appeal to the Facebook Oversight Board regarding the alleged “extremism”. No, just kidding, this only shows how internal self-regulation mechanisms are of no use when faced with totalitarian governments.
A Moscow court today ruled that the activities of Facebook and Instagram are ‘extremist’. Earlier, they were both banned. But the Russian defence ministry is still posting on Instagram? As of 3hrs ago. How does that work? https://twitter.com/...
Oh, the irony ! After years of polluting Western public opinion with lies & extremism, conspiracy theories & hatred on Facebook... Russia has declared @Meta an “extremist organisation” Because social media in Russia proved beyond Putin's control and are now spreading... the truth
🇷🇺 After close to 10 years of using Facebook/Instagram to influence foreign societies, polarise domestic politics abroad and push extremist narratives, Russia declares Zuckerberg's business an extremist organisation, some irony there. https://twitter.com/...
That's great! So let's boot russia completely off the tool (FB) they've been using to attack us and other democracies around the world for last 10yrs https://twitter.com/...
A Moscow court upheld a lawsuit filed by state prosecutors banning Facebook and Instagram in Russia. Meta's lawyer, Victoria Shagina, said in court that the California-based company was not carrying out extremist activities and stood against Russophobia https://www.reuters.com/..…
I wonder what percentage of Russians knows that Meta's revised “hate speech” policy in Ukraine allows for death threats against invading Russian troops and not against all Russian people anywhere on Earth. I bet the number is very, very low.
Facebook has 2.9 billion users around the world whom Russia now apparently regards as members of an extremist organisation. Congratulations, Russia. https://twitter.com/...