MOSCOW | A Russian court on Monday banned social media giants Facebook and Instagram for “extremism,” a move taken as Moscow seeks total control of online information amid an offensive in Ukraine.
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“The court has satisfied a lawsuit filed by the first deputy prosecutor general against the holding company Meta Platforms Inc. relating to the prohibition of its activities on Russian territory,” the court said.
Facebook and Instagram, owned by Meta, are therefore “banned for extremist activity,” the court added in a statement posted on Telegram.
This ban does not, however, target the messaging application WhatsApp, also owned by Meta, the court having found that it was not used as a means of “public dissemination of information”.
Facebook and Instagram, the latter being particularly popular in Russia, are the latest victims of the takeover of information that the Russian authorities accelerated after the launch of the military operation in Ukraine on February 24.
These two social networks had already been blocked for several days, as well as Twitter and the sites of most of the still independent Russian media. They are inaccessible unless you use a virtual private network (VPN).
– “The more difficult life” – “Horrible, bizarre and terrible” news for Maxime, 30, director of a clothing brand interviewed in Moscow, who stresses that “all progressives who bring economic benefit use Facebook and Instagram ” in Russia.
Margarita, a 32-year-old architect, thinks the Russians will find ways around this decision. “It won’t change anything, it might just make life more difficult. It shows once again how little the authorities care about ordinary people,” she said.
On March 11, the Russian authorities had asked to classify Meta organization “extremist” by accusing it of having relaxed its regulations to allow the publication of violent messages against the Russian army and leaders in connection with the military operation of Moscow in Ukraine.
Monday in court, the prosecution had reiterated this request, considering that Meta had justified “terrorist actions” and wanted to incite “hate and enmity” against the Russians.
The Russian security services (FSB) also demanded an “immediate” ban on Facebook and Instagram on Monday. “Meta’s activities are directed against Russia and its armed forces,” FSB spokesman Igor Kovalevski said during the hearing.
YouTube in the viewfinder
According to the Russian news agency TASS, a Meta representative told the court on Monday that the company had since changed its rules to ban “Russophobia and calls for violence.”
Since the beginning of the Russian intervention in Ukraine on February 24, the Russian government has considerably strengthened its control of information disseminated on the internet, one of the last spaces for free expression in the country.
The blocking and banning of Facebook, but especially Instagram, is a blow to many Russians who used them not only for entertainment, but also for business.
Clothes, furniture, massages or language courses: Instagram was a crucial online sales tool for many Russian companies, as well as for artists, who depended on their visibility on this platform, in Russia and abroad, to find client.
Bans on Facebook and Instagram are also likely to impact opposition movements, which, shunned by Kremlin-controlled mainstream media, regularly post on these platforms.
And the trend may not end there: last week, the telecommunications regulator, Roskomnadzor, accused the American giant Google and its video service YouTube of “terrorist” activities, a first step towards a possible blockage.
Still seeking information control, the authorities introduced two new criminal offenses at the beginning of March: one for the dissemination of information “discrediting” the Russian army and the other for the dissemination of information “lies” about Russian troops.
This latest offense provides for penalties of up to fifteen years in prison and is of particular concern to opponents and the independent media, who fear prosecution for any denunciation of the offensive.
At least three people, who had published messages against the conflict on the internet, are already being prosecuted for this reason.