Russia puts Meta spokesperson on wanted list, designates company as ‘terrorist and extremist’

A Meta spokesperson is wanted by the Russian government, as Russia has designated the company as a 'terrorist and extremist' organization. The charges against the spokesperson, Andy Stone, are unknown, but he has been on the wanted list since February. A Russian court has ordered his arrest in absentia.

Meta spokesperson wanted by Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs

According to Russian media outlets, Andy Stone, the communications director for Meta, has been wanted by Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs database since February. Mediazona, an independent Russian outlet, reported that Stone is wanted for unspecified terrorism charges. The state news agency, TASS, also mentioned that Stone is "wanted under an article of the Russian Criminal Code."

Stone has been working at Meta since 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The Russian court has reportedly already arrested Stone in absentia in mid-November. However, details of his case have not been disclosed. The wanted database also does not provide any further information about the charges against him.

Crackdown on Meta in Russia

The charges against Stone are part of Russia's broader crackdown on Meta, the social media giant. Meta's platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, were once popular among Russian users. However, these sites are now banned in Russia, and Meta itself has been labeled as a "terrorist" and "extremist" organization since October 2022.

It is worth noting that WhatsApp, which is also owned by Meta, is still operating in the country.

Russia initiated a case against Meta in March 2022, accusing the company of promoting "terrorist activity" after it modified its hate speech rules for Ukrainian and Polish users.

Mediazona reported that the Russian ministry mentioned Stone in a press release at the time because he had announced Meta's decision to permit users to post about the "death of Russian invaders." Stone clarified that such posts would be treated as political speech rather than actual threats.

Meta has not yet responded to a request for comment regarding these developments.

Source: Business Insider

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By: hgetahun@insider.com (Hannah Getahun)
Title: Russia puts Meta spokesperson on wanted list, designates company as ‘terrorist and extremist’
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/russia-facebook-instagram-meta-employee-spokesperson-wanted-ukraine-2023-11
Published Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2023 01:14:01 +0000