March 14, 2022
In response to a recent shift in Meta’s policy, Russia has announced that it will ban Instagram in the country.
The Prosecutor General’s Office asked state media watchdog Roskomnadzor to restrict access to Instagram over the “distribution of information materials containing calls to carry out violent actions against Russians, including servicemen.”
The policy shift from Meta let users in some countries call for violence against Russian President Vladimir Putin, and invading Russian soldiers.
Reacting to Meta’s decision, Russia urged the United States government to stop Meta’s “extremist activities.”
“We demand that US authorities stop the extremist activities of Meta, take measures to bring the perpetrators to justice. Users of Facebook and Instagram did not give the owners of these platforms the right to determine the criteria of truth and pit nations against each other,” Russia’s embassy in the US tweeted.
Meta’s platforms including Facebook and Instagram had previously been restricted by the Russian government. This was a retaliation for the sanctions imposed on the country for invading Ukraine.
For more information, read the original story in BBC.
