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Russia has added Meta spokesperson Andy Stone to its wanted list on unspecified terrorism charges, according to media outlets.
Mr Stone, who is the communications director of Meta – the parent company of social media giant Facebook – is wanted by Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, reported Mediazona, an independent news website that covers Russia’s opposition and prison system.
Russia banned Facebook and Instagram in March 2022, labelling its parent company Meta as “extremist”. It also designated Meta as a “terrorist and extremist” organisation in October 2022.
The Kremlin launched a sweeping crackdown on western social media platforms, protesters, and independent news outlets since it launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The Meta spokesperson was quietly added to the Interior Ministry’s wanted list in February this year, reported Mediazona.
The Russian Tass news agency also reported that Mr Stone was placed on Moscow’s wanted list “article of the Russian Criminal Code”.
The Interior Ministry’s database did not provide details of the charges against Mr Stone.
Tensions between the Russian government and Meta escalated after the latter said it was relaxing its policies on hate speech towards Russian president Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine.
The relaxed rules allowed temporary changes to Meta’s hate speech policy, allowing all forms of “political expression that would normally violate (its) rules, like violent speech such as ‘death to the Russian invaders’”.
The calls for the leaders’ deaths will be allowed unless they contain other targets or have two indicators of credibility, such as the location or method, an email at that time said, according to Reuters.
A court in Moscow that banned Facebook and Instagram accused the platforms of “carrying out extremist activities” and creating an “alternative reality” to kindle hatred for the Russians.
A Meta lawyer told the court the company opposed any type of Russophobia and denied carrying out extremist activities.
In April 2022, Russia also formally barred Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg from entering the country.
It comes as Russia sent a wave of kamikaze drones into Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv in what Ukrainian officials said was the largest drone attack on Sunday since the war began.
Four people were injured and several buildings damaged, officials said, adding that they repelled 74 of the 75 drone attacks.
Russian authorities claimed they repelled dozens of drone attacks overnight, with the air defence system bringing down at least 24 drones over the Moscow region – which surrounds but does not include the capital – and four other provinces to the south and west.
The Independent has requested Meta for a comment.
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