On 26th November (Sunday), Russia placed Andy Stone, the Spokesperson of Meta – the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram – on a wanted list. However, it has not specified charges against him. But media reports have highlighted that the US social media giant Meta is classed as “extremist” by Moscow.
Andy Stone has been named in the list of wanted people by Russia’s interior ministry, without further detail, as reported by Moscow Times.
As per state-run Russian news agency TASS, Andy Stone, the press secretary of the US-based Meta corporation was put on the wanted list in Russia with criminal charges, according to the search base of the Russian Ministry of Interior.
According to the statement in the database, “Andy Mark Stone is wanted under an article of the Russian Criminal Code.” The media report added that the database does not indicate the specific article for the search. However, Stone was repeatedly placed on the wanted list, the report added.
Notably, earlier in October 2022, Russia listed Meta as a “terrorist and extremist” organisation. It also opened possible criminal investigations and fines for its users in the country. Prior to that, in April 2022, Russia had placed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on a blacklist of people banned from entering the country.
According to Reuters, in March 2022, a Russian investigative committee said that it opened a criminal investigation against the “illegal actions of Meta’s employees” and mentioned Andy Stone. The investigative committee had accused Stone of inciting extremist activity. The development came after Stone “lifted a ban on calls for violence against the Russian military on its platforms”.
Further, the report of Meta Spokesperson Andy Stone being put on the wanted list comes three days after a Russian court on Thursday (23rd November) fined Alphabet’s Google 4 million roubles (USD 44,582). It was fined for not deleting what it called fake information about the country’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Since the start of the Ukraine-Russia war, Facebook and Instagram have been blocked in Russia. They are only accessible via VPN. Similarly, Twitter is also banned, while media reports also claim that Russian independent media that are critical of the Kremlin are also banned in the country.
Prior to the conflict with Ukraine, millions of Russians used these applications belonging to Meta, especially Instagram. As per reports, it still remains hugely popular among young Russians.
