Russian court backs Facebook/Instagram ban, permits WhatsApp
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Russia continues to litigate a battle against Meta Platforms (FB
-3.3%), with a court backing up an existing ban of Facebook and Instagram based on a new law against "extremist activity."
Meta is prohibited from opening branches in Russia and from doing business there, according to state media outlet TASS.

That court decision came in spite of arguments from Meta attorneys that the company wasn't engaged in extremism or "Russophobia," and that Russia didn't have judicial oversight over a foreign company.
The ban doesn't extend to Meta's WhatsApp, however, and Russian users will continue to be allowed to use that application.
WhatsApp is one of Russia's most popular apps, used by up to 65% of the country's Internet users - some 67 million, vs. only about 7.5 million Facebook users, according to eMarketer/Insider Intelligence.
Meta had angered Russia by easing its hate-speech policies to allow calls for violence against Russian soldiers, before clarifying the guidance to restrict calls for assassination of leadership.