Russia puts Meta spokesperson Andy Stone on wanted list: Report
Russian Ministry of Interior, saying, "Andy Mark Stone is wanted under an article of the Russian Criminal Code." "The database does not indicate the specific article for the search. It follows from the file in the Ministry of Interior’s database, Stone was repeatedly placed on the wanted list," the report added. In March 2022 the Russian investigative committee said it had opened a criminal investigation against the "illegal actions of Meta's employees".
It mentioned Stone, saying he had "lifted a ban on calls for violence against the Russian military on its platforms" and was thus inciting extremist activity. “Necessary investigative actions were taking part as part of criminal proceedings, aimed at giving the legal treatment for actions of Andy Stone and other employees of the US corporation," TASS reported. Russia's financial watchdog had last year put US corporation Meta — which owns Facebook — on its list of "extremists and terrorists".
In April 2022, Russia put Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on a blacklist of people banned from entering the country. Russia has hugely cracked down on media and social media freedom since launching its Ukraine offensive last year and banning criticism of it. Facebook and Instagram have been blocked in Russia since the start of the Ukraine offensive and are only accessible via VPN, news agency AFP reported.
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