A general view of the icons of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp displayed on a screen of a smartphone. Facebook and Instagram have been banned by a Russian court as "extremist" organizations. Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
Facebook and Instagram were banned on Monday by a Russian court as "extremist" organizations, after an application by the prosecutor general.
The two services are already blocked in Russia; the messenger service WhatsApp, which also belongs to the US group Meta, is not affected by the ruling, according to the court.
The background to the move is a decision by Meta not to remove calls for violence against Russian troops in Ukraine.
Twitter is also currently blocked in Russia.
