U.S.-Sanctioned Pro-Russian Extremists And Pro-Violence Hate Speech Permitted
On Facebook And Instagram


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Tech & Terrorism: Meta Platforms Violate Own Rules Over Russia-Ukraine War
Content

U.S.-Sanctioned Pro-Russian Extremists And Pro-Violence Hate Speech Permitted
On Facebook And Instagram

 

(New York, N.Y.) — As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, Meta Platforms—the
parent company to Facebook and Instagram—has been found to have violated its
own terms of service. Several pro-Russian extremists, including those that have
beensanctioned
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U.S. Treasury Department, have maintainedactive accounts
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on the popular social media platforms. According to whistleblower complaints,
the accounts allegedly allowed the users to spread Russian propaganda, recruit
fighters, and solicit funds. At the same time, Meta has incrediblyannounced
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that it will allow Facebook and Instagram users in some countries tocall for
violence against Russians and Russian soldiers, despite the tech firm’s hate
speech policy, which would typically remove violent and inciting content.

 

“The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) has consistently called for clear and
consistent content moderation policies that target the ‘worst of the worst’
material, specifically content created by and in support of designated
terrorist organizations and individuals. Persons and groups on U.S. government
sanctions lists certainly represent the ‘worst of the worst,’” said Executive
Director David Ibsen. “Moreover, by allowing exceptions to its hate speech
policies, Meta is demonstrating how fickle the creation and enforcement of its
own community guidelines can be. Such ad hoc changes undercut the effectiveness
of what should be thoughtful and durable policies—ultimately undermining user
safety.”

 

According to whistleblower complaints filed to the U.S. Justice and Treasury
Departments, Aleksandr Zaldostanov, who maintains Facebook and Instagram
accounts, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2014 for
threatening “the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, or territorial
integrity of Ukraine.” The Night Wolves, a biker group led by Zaldostanov that
supported local Crimeans against the Ukrainian government, is also listed by
the Treasury Department and is believed to have been closely connected to
Russian special services and helped recruit separatist fighters for Donetsk and
Luhansk, Ukraine.

 

Last week, Meta said in internal emails that it would temporarily change its
hate speech policy to allow calls for violence against Russians and Russian
soldiers for users in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Emails also showed
that Meta would permit praising of the Azov Regiment, which has hadlinks
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to far-right movements.

 

To read CEP’s resource Russia: Extremism and Terrorism, please click here
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