Russian prosecutor general seeks to ban Instagram, declare Meta an ‘extremist organization'

Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case against Meta and is seeking the classification of the company as an “extremist organization and the prohibition of its activities” on Russian territory, alleging the platform was used to incite “mass riots accompanied by violence.” The consequences of such an inquiry were not immediately clear.

Meta has faced immense pressure to isolate and crack down on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. Facebook, TikTok and YouTube banned Russian state media in Europe and in Ukraine in response to government requests, limiting Moscow’s ability to spread misinformation to millions of people. But the Ukrainian government has pressed the companies to go further — imploring them to fully shut down their services in Russia as punishment for its aggression.

Facebook has refused, arguing its services are critical for activists and everyday Russians to communicate with their families. But last week, Russia’s Internet censor said it was blocking Facebook anyway. Now Instagram has been added to the list.

Russia’s move Friday followed reports that Facebook will allow some calls for violence against Russian forces as the assault on Ukraine rages, creating an unusual exception to long-standing rules that prohibit such language. The change also will allow users to call for the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin or his ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in countries including Russia, Ukraine and Poland, the company said.

A company spokesman said it has temporarily made allowances for what “would normally violate our rules, like violent speech such as ‘Death to the Russian invaders.’” The spokesman added, “We still won’t allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians.”

Dozens of nations have clapped sanctions on Russia, targeting the country’s economic arteries as a means of threatening Putin’s war chest. That’s left companies scrambling to reevaluate their business relationships in the country and set off a flurry of announcements: On Thursday, Goldman Sachs announced it was “winding down” its business in Russia, following hundreds of other Western firms that have closed or suspended operations. Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo and U.S. chain Victoria’s Secret also joined the list by announcing they will temporarily close Russian stores, prompting long lines as shoppers queued for what might be their last chance for months to purchase the goods.

The U.S. already has halted imports of Russian oil and energy products, which made up about 60 percent of the $26 billion in goods American buyers imported from Russia last year. On Friday, the White House announced a ban on additional goods, including vodka, diamonds and seafood. President Biden also unveiled additional sanctions aimed at Russian executives and said the U.S. would join its allies in cutting off Russia’s access to financing from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.