Russia has banned Meta Platforms in the country after finding them guilty of “extremist activity”. A Russian court in Moscow said only WhatsApp was exempted from the ban “due to its lack of functionality for the public dissemination of information.”
The country has already banned a number of social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in an effort to control the flow of information regarding the war with neighbouring Ukraine.
Read: Facebook Alters Hate Speech Policy to Allow Calls for Violence Against Putin, Russian Soldiers
According to the Russian telecommunications regulator, by restricting its media sources, Meta allegedly infringed “human rights” and “freedoms” of Russians.
The Tverskoi District Court in Moscow upheld a complaint filed by Russian state prosecutors that barred Meta from operating in the country. The prohibition will go into force right away, according to Russian news agency Tass, quoting Judge Olga Solopova. Individuals will not be held accountable if they use Meta’s services, according to reports.
Meta has not commented on the matter.
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