Facebook and its parent company Meta are temporarily tolerating calls for violence against Russians in an exception to the usual prohibitions against encouraging violence. After this decision was initially reported by Reuters, Meta defended the move by arguing that it was limited to the context of the war in Ukraine, rather than a blanket tolerance for violent rhetoric directed at Russians everywhere. This still leaves some questions and the development has been controversial in the West and in Russia.
Facebook makes an exception for Russians
When Reuters reported on the fact that Meta intended to allow calls for violence against Russians on Facebook and Instagram, sensible people were very alarmed.
The anti-Russia hysteria in the West has targeted Russian students, artists, and small businesses. This situation might not go so far, but Americans should now understand how the country was so willing to accept Japanese internment camps.
It was not at all clear at first that the decision would still prohibit calls for violence against innocent civilians; the Reuters report mentioned violence against “Russians” in the context of the invasion, not “Russian soldiers” specifically.
In any case, Russia is furious and has moved to declare Meta an extremist group. This is one of the many Western moves which might look good at home, but will undoubtedly backfire in Russia.
Facebook explicitly bending the rules to allow for posts advocating the killing of their soldiers and president at the very least will make ordinary Russians with any sense of patriotism even more hostile towards the West.
At worst, the decision implies to liberal Russians and Russians living abroad that the tech giant is encouraging discrimination against them regardless of their opposition to Putin and the war.
Meta might unintentionally help Putin
Vladimir Putin has rallied the Russian people to support his leadership by presenting himself as the only thing standing between Russia and a West that has an irrational hatred for the country and its people.
Every decision like the one made by Meta strengthens Putin and his image. Allowing users to say “death to Russia” on Facebook does nothing to weaken Putin’s argument that Russia faces an existential threat to its identity and independence from the United States.
Meta had earlier indicated that it hoped to remain operational in Russia so that the Russian people would have access to an additional source of news that might turn them against the war.
Other decisions made by the company have ended that possibility; between allowing praise for the Azov Battalion and permitting calls for the killing of their people in Ukraine, ordinary Russians now have every reason to support a ban on Facebook.
It is entirely unreasonable to assume that losing access to McDonalds and Netflix will drive the Russian people to storm the Kremlin; it is very reasonable to assume that encouraging the killing of their friends and relatives will increase support for the man who tells them that he defends Russia from the West.
At best, Meta’s decision is increasing domestic support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, At worst it will encourage attacks on innocent Russians and promote widespread ethnic hatred and persecution.
