Russian court bans Facebook, Instagram as extremist
NPR Online NewsSep 21, 2021
Russia Bans Meta's FB and IG but not WhatsApp for 'Extremism'
Image copyright: Getty Images [via NPR]
The Facts
Moscow's Tverskoy District Court on Mon. banned Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram in Russia, citing that they're "extremist" organizations that tolerate calls for violence against Russians.
The ban, which Judge Olga Solopova said went into effect immediately, comes after Russia announced on Mar. 4 it would block Facebook and Twitter in response to the platforms blocking access to Russian-affiliated media accounts.
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
This isn't really about the social network, but about fully controlling the information landscape in the country. Meanwhile, Russian authorities continue their crackdown on protesters and independent news outlets. This assault on access to information must stop.
Establishment-critical narrative
Meta, for the first time in the company's history, has adopted a policy that allows for inciting violence against people (Russians) on its social media platforms. It's clearly operating more than just a social media platform, using calls for violence for political ends.