Russia is moving to label the social media giant Meta an “extremist organisation” after the company said it would temporarily allow people to post calls for Vladimir Putin’s death.
The country’s prosecutor general has also requested that communications regulator Roskomnadzor restrict access to Instagram, following its blocks against Facebook and Twitter last week.
It is the latest clampdown people on access to foreign media in Russia in the context of the invasion of Ukraine, which the Russian government describes as a special military operation.
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Why are the Russian authorities moving against Meta?
According to the prosecutor general, there are calls on Instagram for Russians to participate in “riots accompanied by violence” against their government’s actions in Ukraine.
Meta has reportedly sent emails to moderators that explain the company is making “allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules”.
The encouragement of violence against Russian civilians will continue to be prohibited – and posts calling for the president’s death will be deleted if they contain other targets or discuss a location or method.
Rules have also been relaxed surrounding posts about Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko after the invasion.
The temporary policy only applies to users in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine, according to Reuters news agency.
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Why did Meta change its policy?
An email seen by Reuters told moderators: “We are issuing a spirit-of-the-policy…
Source : skynews
