Russian court upholds ban on ‘extremist’ Facebook and Instagram
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge A judge in the Tverskoy Court of Moscow has ruled to ban Meta based on Facebook and Instagram for engaging in extremist activities," as initially reported by Russian state-owned media outlet TASS. Judge Olga Solopova said The court has ruled to grant the Russian Prosecutor General's Office's lawsuit," according to Interfax. The ban will block Meta from doing business or opening new branches in the country and will take effect immediately." It doesn't include WhatsApp.
Last week, Facebook and Instagram outlined a moderation policy allowing users in Ukraine and other eastern European countries to call for violence against Russian soldiers. The platforms initially told moderators to allow posts with calls for the death of Russian...