11 Mar 2022 15:54

All Meta services to be blocked in Russia shortly - State Duma IT Committee first deputy head

MOSCOW. March 11 (Interfax) - All services provided by Meta Platforms Inc. will soon be blocked in Russia, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications Sergei Boyarsky said.

"Clearly, we will not let it slide. Roskomnadzor has every instrument it needs to put an end to such illegal actions. It seems to me that all Meta services will soon be blocked in the territory of the Russian Federation," Boyarsky said on the Rossiya-24 television channel (VGTRK)

The company's actions endanger the lives and health of Russians, he said.

That will be done to protect Russia from extremism, "and Meta is extremist today," Boyarsky said. He admitted that Russians "would definitely miss" the services of the company "but we will get over it."

Meta owns the Facebook and Instagram social networks and the WhatsApp messenger service.