Facebook allows calls for violence against Russian government
The US Internet platform Facebook wants to turn a blind eye to hatred and calls for violence against the Russian government and its armed forces because of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
“Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are lenient with political expressions such as ‘death to the Russian invaders,’ which would normally violate our rules on violent speech,” Facebook parent company Meta spokesman Andy Stone told AFP.
However, he qualified: “We will still not allow any credible calls for violence against Russian civilians.”
Reuters initially reported on the subject. The news agency referred to internal emails from the company to the examiners of reported content. According to the report, the special rule on the Ukraine war applies to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine.
Russian embassy criticizes Meta’s “aggressive policy”
The Russian embassy in the United States has asked the government in Washington to stop the “extremist activities” of the Facebook parent company Meta. “Meta’s aggressive and criminal policies leading to incitement of hatred and hostility towards Russians are outrageous,” the Russian embassy said in a statement.
The company’s actions are further evidence of the “information war” that is being waged against Russia without rules, it said. Meta had temporarily lifted a ban on inciting violence against the Russian military and Russian leadership for Facebook and Instagram users in some countries.
War is also raging online
The war in Ukraine is also being fought online. The West and Russia accuse each other of spreading misinformation. Supporters of the Russian invasion and opponents pour hate speech on each other. The Kremlin blocked access to Facebook last week after the group blocked pro-government Russian media such as RT and Sputnik in Europe due to EU sanctions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is also cracking down on independent media. Journalists who allegedly publish “false information” about the Russian military face lengthy prison terms. As a result, numerous media stopped reporting from Russia.
Because of Western sanctions against Putin, more and more international corporations are turning their backs on Russia. Large US technology companies such as Apple and Microsoft no longer want to sell their products there, Netflix and Airbnb have also discontinued their services.
