State-run news outlets said on Tuesday, Oct. 11, that US tech giant Meta Platforms has been added to Russia's list of "terrorists and extremists" compiled by the nation's financial monitoring agency, as per The Independent's report.
Rosfinmonitoring, a government agency under the direction of Vladimir Putin, has compiled a list of organizations and individuals "with regard to which there is information about their involvement in extremist activities or terrorism."
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: A worker picks up trash in front of a new logo and the name 'Meta' on the sign in front of Facebook headquarters on October 28, 2021 in Menlo Park, California. A new name and logo were unveiled at Facebook headquarters after a much anticipated name change for the social media platform.
"Sponsoring Extremism"
According to The Moscow Times, the most recent action could result in jail time of up to 10 years for Russian residents and businesses on allegations of "sponsoring extremism" if they buy ads on Facebook or Instagram.
Meta has not yet responded to the most recent action taken by Moscow authorities.
However, according to Russian senator Andrei Klishas, those who use Meta products will not count as violating the law.
"Rosfinmonitoring's decision to put Meta on the list of extremist organisations in no way changes the situation for users of Meta's social networks, users of Meta products are not breaking the law," he said on his Telegram channel on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
The Russian lawmaker added that the legal situation has not changed since the court has already banned Meta products. He also noted that Meta's WhatsApp messaging app is not included in its label as "extremist."
After being convicted guilty of "extremist activity" in Russia in March, Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp-had its appeal denied by a Moscow court in June.
At the time, Meta's attorney testified in court, saying that the company was not engaging in extremist activity. However, their plea was ultimately dismissed.
Banning VPNs
Facebook and Instagram are no longer accessible from Moscow, but many Russians still use virtual private networks (VPNs), the demand for which increased in March when some Western internet sites were blocked.
According to the TASS news agency, the government's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor has updated its prohibited VPN list. Though many VPNs continue to function, it started attempting to block them in 2021.
Lawyers and digital rights organizations have noticed that some posts on Facebook and Instagram are causing users to receive warnings.
Pavel Chikov, a human rights attorney, has cautioned that the mere act of displaying the Instagram and Facebook logos or engaging in advertising on those platforms can be considered unlawful under Russian law, as per Reuters' report.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
