New Delhi: A Russian court has banned Facebook and Instagram in the country, labeling its parent company Meta as “extremist” amid the Kremlin’s sweeping crackdown on western social media giants.
The court in Moscow said that Facebook and Instagram –both of which are widely used among Russians – were “carrying out extremist activities”. But it said that Meta’s WhatsApp messenger service would not be prohibited because it “was means of communication, not a source of information”.
During Monday’s hearing in Moscow, Russia’s FSB security service accused Meta of creating an “alternative reality” in which “hatred for the Russians was kindled”.
“The activities of the Meta organization are directed against Russia and its armed forces,” FSB representative Igor Kovalevsky told the court, the Russian state news agency reported.
“The use of Meta’s products by individuals and legal entities should not be considered as participation in extremist activities,” Kovalevsky told the court on Monday. “Individuals will not be held liable for using Meta’s services,” Russian prosecutors said.
It was not immediately clear if Russians and foreign companies that purchase ads on Facebook and Instagram could be prosecuted under the Russian law of “financing an extremist organization.”
(SMIT SONI)