"The court has satisfied a lawsuit filed by the First Deputy Prosecutor General against the holding company Meta Platforms Inc. relating to the prohibition of its activities on Russian territory," the court said.

Facebook and Instagram, owned by Meta, are therefore “banned for extremist activity,” the court added in a statement posted on Telegram.

This prohibition does not, however, target the messaging application WhatsApp, also owned by Meta, the court having found that it was not used as a means of "public dissemination of information".

Facebook and Instagram, the latter being particularly popular in Russia, are the latest victims of the takeover of information that the Russian authorities accelerated after the launch of the military operation in Ukraine on February 24.

These two social networks had already been blocked for several days, as well as Twitter and the sites of most of the still independent Russian media.

They are inaccessible unless you use a virtual private network (VPN).

On March 11, the Russian authorities had asked to classify Meta organization "extremist" by accusing it of having relaxed its rules to allow the publication of violent messages against the Russian army and leaders in connection with the military operation of Moscow in Ukraine.

Monday in court, the prosecution had reiterated this request, considering that Meta had justified "terrorist actions" and wanted to incite "hate and enmity" against the Russians.

The Russian security services (FSB) also demanded an "immediate" ban on Facebook and Instagram on Monday.

"Meta's activities are directed against Russia and its armed forces. We demand its ban and the obligation to apply this measure immediately," FSB spokesman Igor Kovalevski said during the hearing. the Interfax news agency.

YouTube in the viewfinder

According to the Russian news agency TASS, a Meta representative told the court on Monday that the company had since changed its rules to ban "Russophobia and calls for violence".

Since the beginning of the Russian intervention in Ukraine on February 24, the Russian government has considerably strengthened its control of information disseminated on the internet, one of the last spaces for free expression in the country.

The blocking and banning of Facebook, but especially Instagram, is a blow to many Russians who used them not only for entertainment, but also for business.

Clothes, furniture, massages or language courses: Instagram was a crucial online sales tool for many Russian companies, as well as for artists, who depended on their visibility on this platform, in Russia and abroad, to find client.

Bans on Facebook and Instagram are also likely to impact opposition movements, which, shunned by Kremlin-controlled mainstream media, regularly post on these platforms.

And the trend may not stop there: last week, telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor accused US giant Google and its YouTube video service of "terrorist" activities, a first step towards a possible blockage.

Still seeking to control information, the authorities introduced two new criminal offenses at the beginning of March: one for the dissemination of information "discrediting" the Russian army and the other for the dissemination of information "lies" about Russian troops.

The latter offense carries penalties of up to fifteen years in prison.

It particularly worries opponents and the independent media, who fear prosecution for any denunciation of the offensive.

At least three people, who had published messages against the conflict on the internet, are already being prosecuted for this reason.

© 2022 AFP