Russia’s Justice Ministry Puts Meta Platform Inc on Register of Extremist Organizations

In March, Moscow’s Tverskoy district court upheld the Prosecutor General’s Office claim and recognized the activity of Meta Platforms-owned Instagram and Facebook as extremist and banned them in Russia

Russian Justice Ministry Artyom Geodakyan/TASS

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. Meta Platforms (outlawed in Russia) has been put on the register of extremist organizations, Russia’s Justice Ministry said on Friday.

Last month, the ministry updated its list of public associations and religious organizations, which are to be suspended or banned by enforced court rulings under the federal law on combating extremist activities.

"Meta Platforms Inc., an American transnational holding company selling the following products: social networks Facebook and Instagram (Moscow’s Tverskoy district court ruling of March 21, 2022 and the appellate decision of the Moscow City Court’s judicial chamber for civil cases of June 20, 2022)," says the entry to the register.

In March, Moscow’s Tverskoy district court upheld the Prosecutor General’s Office claim and recognized the activity of Meta Platforms-owned Instagram and Facebook as extremist and banned them in Russia. The motion followed Meta’s decision to temporarily lift the ban on posting calls for violence against Russian nationals by the residents of several countries. Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on charges of calling for violence against and murders of Russians. However, it was decided not to ban the WhatsApp messenger, also owned by Meta.