<\/p>\n
The country\u2019s Interfax news agency reported that the Russian government has added the social media giant Meta \u2013 which is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram \u2013 to their list of terrorist and extremist organisations after they banned the two services in March for \u201cRussiaphobia\u201d.<\/p>\n
The classification means that banks can freeze Meta\u2019s assets in the country.<\/p>\n
Facebook and Instagram were removed after Meta \u2013 which is founded by Mark Zuckerberg \u2013 allowed posts like \u201cdeath to Russian invaders\u201d after President Vladimir Putin sent military forces into Ukraine in February.<\/p>\n
Meta appealed the ban \u2013 which does not apply to Whatsapp, another of their properties \u2013 but it was upheld by a court in Moscow in the summer.<\/p>\n
Meta has fought back against allegations it promotes anti-Russian beliefs.<\/p>\n
In the spring, they explained they were making a exception to their normal policy \u201cin light of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine\u201d to permit those impacted by the violence to \u201cexpress violent sentiments towards invading armed forces\u201d which has led to thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people.<\/p>\n
Following this development, the Russian embassy in the US appealed for action against the move.<\/p>\n
Their official Twitter account posted: \u201cWe demand that US authorities stop the extremist activities of Meta, take measures to bring the perpetrators to justice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUsers of Facebook and Instagram did not give the owners of these platforms the right to determine the criteria of truth and pit nations against each other.\u201d<\/p>\n