Russia has added the spokesman of , which owns Facebook and Instagram, to a wanted list, according to an online database maintained by the countryB次元官网网址檚 interior ministry.
Russian state agency Tass and independent news outlet Mediazona first reported that Meta communications director Andy Stone was included on the list Sunday, weeks after Russian authorities in October classified Meta as a B次元官网网址渢errorist and extremistB次元官网网址� organization, opening the way for possible criminal proceedings against Russian residents using its platforms.
The interior ministryB次元官网网址檚 database doesnB次元官网网址檛 give details of the case against Stone, stating only that he is wanted on criminal charges. Meta didnB次元官网网址檛 immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to Mediazona, an independent news website that covers RussiaB次元官网网址檚 opposition and prison system, Stone was put on the wanted list in February 2022, but authorities made no related statements at the time and no news media reported on the matter until this week.
In March this year, RussiaB次元官网网址檚 federal Investigative Committee opened a criminal investigation into Meta. It alleged that the companyB次元官网网址檚 actions following on Feb. 24, 2022 amounted to inciting violence against Russians.
After Russian troops moved into Ukraine, Stone announced temporary changes to MetaB次元官网网址檚 hate speech policy to allow for B次元官网网址渇orms of political expression that would normally violate (its) rules, like violent speech such as B次元官网网址榙eath to the Russian invaders.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
In the same statement, Stone added that B次元官网网址渃redible calls for violence against Russian civiliansB次元官网网址� would remain banned.
Mediazona on Sunday claimed that an unspecified Russian court issued an arrest warrant earlier this month for Stone on charges of B次元官网网址渇acilitating terrorism.B次元官网网址� The report didnB次元官网网址檛 specify the source of that information, which couldnB次元官网网址檛 be independently verified.
Western social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and X B次元官网网址� formerly known as Twitter B次元官网网址� were popular with young Russians before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but have since been blocked in the country as part of a broad crackdown on independent media and other forms of critical speech. They are now only accessible via VPN.
In April 2022, Russia also formally barred Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg from entering the country.
