Zakharova links Meta ban to changes in moderation rules

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on October 9 that Russian measures against Meta responded to calls for violence permitted by the company. She spoke at the second Global Digital Forum in Moscow.

In 2022, Moscow's Tverskoi District Court designated Meta's activities extremist and prohibited its Facebook and Instagram operations in Russia. The ruling excluded WhatsApp, Interfax reported from the court.

The dispute followed temporary moderation changes during the war in Ukraine. Meta allowed some speech about violence against Russian troops but said credible calls to harm civilians remained prohibited. Reuters also reported subsequent narrowing of the rules.

Zakharova offered Russia's explanation, rather than announcing a new court decision. The forum runs on October 8–10.