March 11 (UPI) -- Russia's Investigative Committee announced Friday that it opened a criminal case against social media giant Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, over the company's hate speech policy.
The news came after Meta told moderators this week that it would allow Facebook and Instagram users to post violent messages about the Russian military amid the invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian agency said in a statement that the criminal case was opened "in connection with illegal calls for murder and violence" against Russian citizens by Meta employees.
"Andy Stone, the company's press secretary, announced on the social network that Meta had temporarily lifted the ban on calls for violence against the Russian military on its platforms. He called it a form of political expression," the Russian statement reads.
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