A Russian court on Monday, ruled Meta, the parent corporation of Facebook and Instagram, to be an “extremist organisation,” rendering its operations in the country illegal. The decision excludes WhatsApp, which Meta also owns.
The verdict prohibits Facebook and Instagram from operating in Russia, where both platforms are already restricted.
The full extent of the ruling’s impact is unknown.
In Russia, an extremist designation typically prohibits any commercial activity or even the display of brand symbols. During the hearing, government prosecutors appeared to state that ordinary people who use Facebook or Instagram would not be prosecuted.
Part of the reason for the case is Meta’s decision earlier this month to allow some demands for violence against Russian soldiers. In a criminal investigation, Russian prosecutors cited Meta workers’ “illegal calls for the murder of Russian people” and accused Instagram of providing as a platform for organizing “riots, accompanied by violence.”
Meta later clarified that it relaxed its rules against violent speech only for people within Ukraine and only when directed at Russian military personnel in that country. It forbids any calls for violence, harassment, or discrimination against Russian citizens.
In the last three weeks, almost 15,000 Russian protesters have been jailed as a result of new regulations making public statements about Ukraine that do not correspond with the Kremlin’s official version of the “special military operation.”
