Meta Loses Appeal in Russian Court Over ‘Extremist Activity’ Tag

According to the TASS news agency, a Moscow court on Monday dismissed Meta Platforms Inc's appeal after the company was found guilty of "extremist activities" in Russia in March.

Following the deployment of tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24, Russia restricted access to Meta's flagship platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as fellow social network Twitter, a move critics have interpreted as an attempt by Russia to exert greater control over information flows.

Russia stated in March that its extremist decision will not apply to Meta's WhatsApp communication program, instead concentrating on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta did not reply to an emailed request for comment right away. Meta's lawyer, Victoria Shakina, told a judge in March that her client was not engaged in extremist activities and was opposed to Russophobia.

After Meta said it would allow social media users in Ukraine to post messages urging violence against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the troops Moscow sent there, Russia banned Facebook.

Instagram was then targeted after Meta said it would allow social media users in Ukraine to post messages urging violence against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the troops Moscow sent there.

Meta's advise was later adjusted to forbid calls for the killing of a head of state and said that it should never be understood as supporting violence against Russians in general.

Russia has also taken issue with the way Western platforms treat its own media, some of which are labeled as'state-controlled.' Roskomnadzor, Russia's communications regulator, has punished social media sites for failing to remove information that Russia considers unlawful on a frequent basis.

According to a Kommersant reporter in the courtroom, a lawyer defending Meta told the court on Monday that refusing to prevent access to content and labeling state-controlled media as radical were not behaviors that qualified.

That account could not be independently verified by Reuters, and the lawyer could not be located immediately.

Because Meta's WhatsApp service remained operational after the verdict, there was some misunderstanding in March. Prosecutors also stated that people would not be prosecuted merely for utilizing Meta's services, which are still available over virtual private networks (VPNs).

Organizations and people must incorporate the disclaimer that Meta's operations are prohibited on Russian territory when referring to Meta in the public domain, according to the order.