Following his 2022 statement on Meta’s temporary hate speech policy changes amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone has been sentenced to six years in prison in absentia by Russia. Stone’s remarks, which allowed for violent speech directed at Russian forces, have resulted in legal consequences amidst heightened international tensions.
A Russian court has convicted and sentenced Andy Stone, the spokesperson for Meta, to six years in prison in absentia for justifying terrorism. The charges stem from Stone’s comments in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in which he announced temporary changes to Meta’s hate speech policy to allow for certain forms of political expression that would normally violate the company’s rules. The Russian authorities have since outlawed Meta as an extremist organization and blocked Facebook and Instagram in Russia. Stone, who is based in the United States, was initially charged with calling for terrorist activity, public calls for extremist activity, and publicly justifying terrorism, but the first two charges were dropped in the final version of the indictment.
