Russia Designates Meta (Facebook & Instagram) as Terrorist & Extremist Organization
Russia's government unit has escalated its stance against Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, officially adding the tech giant to its list of terrorist and extremist organizations. This move signifies a significant shift in the relationship between Russia and Meta, impacting both Russian citizens and businesses.
The decision by the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, Rosfinmonitoring, to categorize Meta as such follows the banning of Facebook and Instagram back in March. This designation carries severe implications.
What Does This Mean?
Meta's addition to Russia's terrorist and extremist organizations list means that Russian citizens or businesses that run advertisements on Facebook or Instagram risk facing legal repercussions. Simply engaging with these platforms could be interpreted as supporting extremist activities under Russian law.
Russian officials added U.S. tech company Meta to its extremists list, resulting in a ban on all Meta products and subsidiaries. This reinforces the existing restrictions and further isolates the Russian population from Meta's services.
Context & Legal Ramifications
Reports indicate that A military court in Moscow on Monday passed the verdict on Meta Platforms spokesperson Andy Stone for “publicly defending terrorism”, RIA news agency reported. This highlights the aggressive stance Russia is taking against perceived support for terrorism, extending even to individual spokespeople.
Russia has added US tech giant Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, to a list of terrorist and extremist organisations, according to a database of the Federal Service. This formal listing solidifies the legal basis for actions against individuals and entities associated with Meta within Russia.
Global Implications
US tech giant Meta Platforms Inc is now on Russia’s list of “terrorists and extremists” curated by the country’s financial monitoring agency, state-run news agencies said. This action raises concerns about the future of internet freedom and the increasing fragmentation of the online landscape. The long-term consequences for global communication and information access remain to be seen.