Russian Interior Ministry Adds Meta’s Spokesman to Wanted List
The spokesperson of Meta, a U.S. technology company that owns Facebook and Instagram, has been added to the wanted list by the Russian Interior Ministry, as per their online database.
The addition of Meta’s communications director, Andy Stone, was first reported by Russian state agency Tass and independent news outlet Mediazona. This action comes following Russia’s classification of Meta as a “terrorist and extremist” organization in October, potentially leading to criminal charges against Russian residents using its platforms.
The interior ministry’s database provides no specific details of the case against Stone, only indicating that he is wanted on criminal charges. Meta has not immediately issued any comments regarding this matter.
Mediazona reported that Stone was placed on the wanted list in February 2022 without any accompanying official statements, and this information only came to light this week.
In March of the same year, Russia’s federal Investigative Committee initiated a criminal investigation into Meta, accusing the company of inciting violence against Russians following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
After the invasion, Stone announced temporary adjustments to Meta’s hate speech policy to permit kinds of political expression that typically violate their rules, including violent speech such as ‘death to the Russian invaders.’ Stone, however, maintained the ban on credible calls for violence against Russian civilians.
Mediazona claimed that an unspecified Russian court issued an arrest warrant for Stone earlier in the month on charges of “facilitating terrorism.” The origin of this information was not specified, and could not be independently verified.
Popular Western social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, formerly known as X, were used by young Russians until they were blocked in the country as part of a crackdown on independent media and critical speech. They are now only accessible via VPN.
Additionally, in April 2022, Russia formally prohibited Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg from entering the country.
