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A Russian lawmaker has outlined several steps that Meta platforms could take to resume operations for Facebook and Instagram after a Moscow court upheld a ban on the social media sites in the country.
The Tverskoy District Court on Monday ruled in favor of a lawsuit filed by Russian prosecutors to ban Facebook and Instagram, stating that Meta has been found guilty of "extremist activity." The court ruled that WhatsApp, another Meta-owned platform, would be allowed to stay in Russia.
Earlier this month, Russia moved to block Facebook over claims that it "discriminated" against Russian state media. Instagram was banned after Meta said it would temporarily allow users in Ukraine to post messages calling for violence against Russian soldiers and President Vladimir Putin during the ongoing war.
However, Anton Gorelkin, a member of Russia's State Duma committee on information and communications, said Monday that the Meta-owned sites could resume operations if they agree to Moscow's terms.
Gorelkin said the decision "can be canceled if the company officially recognizes the violations and rectifies them," Russian news agency Tass reported on Monday. "It shouldn't be some comments by God knows who but official statements verified by our regulator."
Gorelkin also said that Meta would have to grant access to the accounts of all Russian news media and public figures that were previously blocked and "return to compliance with the principle of neutrality." Furthermore, he said, the company must strictly moderate all "anti-Russian comments," according to Reuters.
Meta did not immediately respond to Monday's court ruling. But the company said last week that it stands against "Russophobia" and that it would not permit "calls for genocide, ethnic cleansing, or any kind of discrimination, harassment, or violence towards Russians" on its platforms.
Barring the two social media sites has so far halted access for millions of Russians. However, reports have indicated that more Russians have begun using virtual private networks to get around the government restrictions. The demand for VPNs in Russia grew by 2,692 percent this month, according to privacy monitoring service Top10VPN.
Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the nation has severely cracked down on dissent and prohibited state media from designating its military actions as a "war." Instead, Moscow has insisted that it is performing a "special military operation" in Ukraine.
More than 900 Ukrainian civilians have died in the war so far, while 1,459 have been wounded, according to the United Nations. Nearly 10 million people have fled their homes, including about 3.4 million who have sought refuge abroad.
Newsweek contacted Meta for additional comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
