According to an online database managed by Russia’s interior ministry, the country has put the spokesperson of Meta, a U.S. tech company that owns Facebook and Instagram, on a list of wanted individuals.

According to reports from Russian state agency Tass and independent news outlet Mediazona, Meta’s communications director Andy Stone was recently added to a list of individuals. This comes after Russian authorities designated Meta as a “terrorist and extremist” organization in October, potentially leading to legal action against Russian users of its services.

The database of the interior ministry does not provide specific information about the charges against Stone, simply stating that he is being sought for criminal offenses. Meta has not yet responded to a comment request.

In February 2022, Stone was added to the wanted list, as reported by Mediazona, an independent news outlet that focuses on Russia’s opposition and prison system. However, there were no official statements from authorities and no media coverage until this week.

In March of this year, the Russian federal Investigative Committee launched a criminal probe against Meta. The investigation claimed that the actions taken by the company after Moscow’s complete invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 were considered a provocation of violence against Russians.

Following the deployment of Russian soldiers in Ukraine, Stone released a statement outlining temporary alterations to Meta’s hate speech guidelines. These changes permit certain types of political expression that would typically be considered a violation, such as promoting violent rhetoric like “death to the Russian invaders.”

Stone also stated that any legitimate calls for violence against Russian civilians would continue to be prohibited.

According to Mediazona, a Russian court issued an arrest warrant for Stone in early January on charges related to terrorism. However, the source of this information was not specified and could not be confirmed by independent sources.

Popular among young Russians prior to the 2022 annexation of Ukraine, Western social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) have been rendered inaccessible in the country due to a sweeping crackdown on independent media and dissenting expression. These platforms can now only be accessed through a VPN.

Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, was officially banned from entering Russia in April 2022.

Source: wral.com