The social networks managed by Meta are “prohibited for extremist activity,” the court added in a statement released by Telegram.
The messaging application WhatsApp, also owned by Meta, is not affected by this measure, since the court found that it is not used as a means of “public dissemination of information”.
After the start of the military operation in Ukraine on February 24, the authorities in Russia tightened control of information. The ban on Facebook and Instagram is part of that line.
These two social networks were already banned for a few days, as well as Twitter and the websites of most independent Russian media. The only way to access them is through a virtual private network (VPN).
For Maxim, 30 years old and interrogated in Moscow, the news is “horrible, strange and terrible”. Director of a clothing brand, he stresses that “all progressives who bring an economic benefit use Facebook and Instagram” in Russia.
Margarita, a 32-year-old architect, thinks the Russians will find a way around the decision. “It won’t change anything, it will just make life a little more complicated. This shows once again how little the authorities care about ordinary people,” she says.
On March 11, Russia had asked to classify Meta as an “extremist” organization after accusing it of having relaxed its regulations to allow the publication of violent messages against the Russian military and leaders as a result of the military operation.
In court on Monday, the prosecution reiterated this request, considering that Meta justified “terrorist actions” and intends to incite “hatred and enmity” towards the Russians.
The Russian security services (FSB) had also demanded the “immediate” banning of Facebook and Instagram.
“The activities of Meta are directed against Russia and its armed forces. We demand its prohibition and the obligation to apply this measure immediately,” an FSB spokesman, Igor Kovalevski, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying at a hearing.
The blocking and banning of Facebook, but especially of Instagram, widely used in the country, was a blow to many citizens who used these social networks not only to have fun, but also to do business.
Instagram is a key online sales tool for many businesses, but also for artists, who bet on this platform to make themselves known both in Russia and abroad and thus find clients.
The banning of these two social networks may also have an impact on the opposition, which used to post on these platforms since the Kremlin-controlled media does not usually give it space.
And the trend could continue. Last week, the Russian telecommunications regulator, Roskomnadzor, accused the American giant Google and its video service YouTube of “terrorist” activities, the first step towards a possible blockade.
Source: Ambito
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