Facebook and Instagram officially allowed to hate Russians

Meta's platforms - Facebook and Instagram - have allowed users in some countries to call for cruelty against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the war in Ukraine, reports CNN.

Photo: Shutterstock

The social network is temporarily allowing some messages calling for the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, among other things, in countries including Russia, Ukraine and Poland, according to internal emails to content moderators.

“As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we have temporarily adjusted for forms of political expression that normally violate our rules, including aggressive language such as “death to the Russian occupiers.” We continue to not tolerate untrustworthy calls for violence against Russian citizens,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

Death calls for leaders will be allowed as long as they don't contain other targets or don't have two credibility metrics, such as location or method, according to one of the emails about the company's recent change to violence and incitement rules.

On the subject: Tesla will continue to pay salaries to employees who decide to go to war in Ukraine

According to this letter, temporary policy changes regarding incitement to violence against Russian soldiers apply to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine.

In an email recently sent to moderators, Meta (FB) highlighted a change in its hate speech policy against both Russian soldiers and Russians in the context of the war.

“We are issuing a policy permit allowing hate speech that would otherwise be removed under the hate speech policy when: (a) targeting Russian soldiers OTHER THAN POWs, or (b) targeting Russians where it is it is clear that the context is Russia’s war in Ukraine (for example, the content mentions invasion, self-defense, etc.),” the letter says.

“We are doing this because we have noticed that in this particular context, ‘Russian soldiers’ are being used as proxies for the Russian armed forces. The hate speech policy continues to prohibit attacks on Russians,” the letter emphasizes.

Last week, Russia said it was banning Facebook in the country in response to what it says is restricting access to Russian media on the platform. Moscow has cracked down on tech companies, including Twitter TWTR.N.

Many major social media platforms have announced new conflict-related content restrictions, including blocking Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik in Europe.

The emails, among other things, showed that the Meta would allow praise for the right-wing Azov Battalion, which is normally prohibited.

Meta spokesman Joe Osborne said earlier that the company "is currently making a small exception to praise the Azov Regiment solely in the context of defending Ukraine or their role in the Ukrainian National Guard."

The reaction of Russia

The Prosecutor General's Office of Russia asked to recognize Meta as an extremist organization, reports with the BBC. The prosecutor's office referred to the law "On combating extremist activity."

“In connection with the presence of signs of crimes”, provided for by Part 2 of Art. 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (propaganda of terrorism) and paragraph “a” of Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (incitement of hatred and enmity with the threat of violence) ”materials were sent to the Investigative Committee of Russia to resolve the issue of criminal prosecution, as stated in the message of the prosecutor's office.

The ICR has already opened a criminal case "in connection with illegal calls for violence against citizens of the Russian Federation by employees of the American company Meta, which owns the social networks Facebook and Instagram."

In addition, the Prosecutor General's Office also appealed to Roskomnadzor with a demand to restrict access to Instagram "in connection with the dissemination of information materials containing calls to commit violent acts against Russians, including military personnel."

Facebook has been blocked in Russia since March 4th.

The Russian embassy in the United States was the first to announce the “extremist activities of the Meta company”, reacting to the publication of the Reuters agency and the statement of the company representative. Stone, in a statement, stressed that the phrase "death to the Russian invaders" is now the norm for social networks, the Russian embassy was outraged. They announced the "criminal policy of Meta, leading to incitement of hatred and enmity towards the Russians."

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At night, Roskomnadzor sent Meta a demand to confirm or refute information about the resolution of calls for violence against the Russian military, as Alexander Khinshtein, head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, said. A few hours before the statements of the Prosecutor General's Office and the ICR, he suggested that "some decision [in relation to Meta] would be made" before the evening of March 11.

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin instructed to prepare an appeal to the Prosecutor General and the TFR about the actions of Meta, but they did not wait for him and announced their decisions.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• On the night of February 24 began full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine.
• In the light of these events in Russia and around the world, protests against the invasion of Ukraine
• US and UK imposed broad economic sanctions against Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine.
• February 25 President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table. Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Putin is ready to send a delegation to Minsk (Belarus) for negotiations with Kiev. He specified that the delegation will include representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the presidential administration.
• In the USA there were large-scale rallies in support of Ukraine.
• Pope Francis visits the Russian Embassy February 25, to personally "express his concerns about the war" in Ukraine, which made an unprecedented deviation from diplomatic protocol.
• European Union, USA and UK imposed sanctions and froze the assets of Putin and Lavrov.
• The United States declared its readiness to start accept refugees from Ukraine.
• February 26, the world famous and one of the most popular groups of hackers Anonymous recorded a video message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. They promised to find all "skeletons in the closet" and "leave no stone unturned".
• As it became known, the Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Sean Penn is located in Ukraine and is making a documentary for Vice about events in the country.
• February 28 The world's largest aircraft An-225 was destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it caused alarm and sadness among the aviation world, in which it occupies an almost cult status.
• On the same day, the United States and France called on their citizens immediately consider leaving Russia.
• From the very beginning of the invasion, many actions took place around the world in support of Ukraine. How it was in the USA, see our material.
• On March 1, the United States asked 12 Russian diplomats from the United Nations leave the US accusing them of "espionage activities" as Russia continues its advance into Ukraine.
• March 2 Russian businessman Alex Konanykhin offered $1 million reward for dead or alive Putin.
• Airbus and Boeing refused to work with Russia, this endangers almost the entire civil aviation of the country.
• March 3 CEO and founder of the Russian TV channel "Rain" announced the suspension of the channel. This is due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• Which of the Hollywood stars supported Ukraine, and who was on the side of Russia, read here.
• What Russians living in Ukraine say about the war, you can find out in our material.
• Which companies left Russia and how it hit the economy, read on link.
• Where citizens of Ukraine can receive special services in Poland - by link.
• The US State Department has warned citizens of Ukraine that the US Mission in Ukraine does not currently offer visa services. That's it services provided in Germany.
• Meanwhile, the killers tried to kill the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky at least three times since Russia invaded his country on February 24.
• In Russia, the situation with free media is becoming more and more difficult. Even relatives of Ukrainians from Russia do not believe in shelling of Ukraine.
• Russian diplomats announced persona non grata, left the US, and the Russian airlines stop international flights.
• Meanwhile at the International Court of Justice in The Hague consideration of the lawsuit of Ukraine against Russia began. The subject of the lawsuit is allegations of genocide.
• Russia began active preparations for shutdown from the global internet.
• Thousands of Ukrainians leave the country: 11-year-old boy from Zaporozhye made it to the border with Slovakia and crossed it on foot.
• U.S. backs Ukraine – both government officials and ordinary Americans: 20 workers in West Coast ports refuse tohandle Russian cargo. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky was awarded a medal Liberty Ronald Reagan. Tesla will continue to pay salaries to employees who decide to go to fight in Ukraine.
• In the meantime, the sanctions are taking effect: Russia is rapidly rising in price or disappearing from the sale of drugs and medical equipment manufactured by countries that have imposed sanctions on the Russian Federation because of the war in Ukraine. Down on the country iron curtain.
• Russia cannot establish a dialogue with the world - she threatens to leave from the Council of Europe and the OSCE.

Read also on ForumDaily:

'Everything Putin touched perished': the oligarch renounced Russian citizenship

'Now we will put things in order where we see fit': Russia threatens to withdraw from Council of Europe and OSCE

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