According to the online database maintained by Russia's interior ministry, Meta's Communication Director, Andy Stone, is wanted on criminal charges.

The details of Stone's case remain unclear, as the country's interior ministry did not give further details on the matter. The independent Russian news outlet Mediazona explains that he was first put on the wanted list in February 2022. However, no official statements from the Russian authorities or media outlets addressed this. 

Following the commencement of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, Stone made an official statement, announcing that Meta will temporarily loosen its hate speech policy to allow for T1 violent speech to diversify political expression that would otherwise be prohibited. This kind of political expression is allowed as long as it is aimed towards Russian soldiers, Russian President Vladimir Putin, or even the Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, as long as it does not include other targets or indicators of credibility, such as time and place.

Why does it matter?

In March 2022, Facebook and Instagram were banned for 'extremist activities' by Moscow's Tverskoy District Court, but the restriction does not apply to the WhatsApp messaging app. In March 2023, the Russian Federal Investigative Committee began a criminal investigation into Meta for allegedly 'inciting violence against Russians'. Deeming Meta's apps as 'terrorist and extremist' could allow the Russian authorities to commence arbitrary criminal proceedings against civilians who use them via VPN.