The Russian military court found Andy Stone, the spokesperson for Meta Platforms, guilty of “justifying terrorism” and sentenced him to six years in prison. The conviction came after Stone made controversial comments on Facebook in March 2022, suggesting that users could temporarily break the company’s anti-violence rules to demand actions like “death to the Russian attackers.”
Although Meta’s international affairs manager Nick Clegg later clarified that this rule only applied to users in Ukraine, the Russian authorities still banned Meta’s Facebook and Instagram applications in the country. In addition, Russian authorities prohibited Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg from entering the country.
The case against Stone highlights the role of tech companies in global events and raises important legal questions about their actions. It also underscores the need for greater regulation and accountability in the tech industry when it comes to issues related to violence and conflict.
