Meta, the UStech giant, was selected to the Russian list of "terrorists and extremists," according to Russian news organizations in June. A Moscow court in June dismissed an appeal by Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, after being found guilty of "extremist activity" in Russia. Meta, according to court, was in court after being found guilty of "extremist activity and was against Russophobia. Meta did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
The Rosfinmonitoring''s list focuses on "organizations and individuals" with regard to whom there is information about their involvement in extreme actions or terrorism.
Moscow has restricted access to Facebook and Instagram, although many Russian users still access them using virtual private networks (VPNs), which have risen as some Western internet services were blocked in March.
Roskomnadzor, a state communications authority, has updated its list of banned VPNs, according to a TASS news agency on Tuesday. It began working on blocking VPNs in 2021, though many remain to work.
Officials have reported that Meta''s "extremist" label does not extend to its WhatsApp messenger service.
"Rosfinsurrecting"''s decision to include Meta on the list of extremist organizations in no way alters the situation for Meta''s social networks, and users of Meta products are not violating the law," senior lawmaker Andrey Klishas said on Telegram on Tuesday.
"There are no restrictions on WhatsApp messenger," he added.
However, legal firms and digital rights organizations have reported that Facebook and Instagram users are being warned about some posts.
According to Russian authorities, simply showing Instagram and Facebook logos or advertising on those sites might be deemed unlawful.